Richard Levine/Corbis via Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Businessman Carl Icahn announced on Friday that he will step away from his role as a special advisor to President Donald Trump on regulatory reform issues — a decision he claims was made to avoid the suggestion of conflicts of interest by critics of the administration. As I discussed with you, I’ve received a number of inquiries over the last month regarding the recent appointment of Neomi Rao as Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (or “regulatory czar,” as the press has dubbed her) – specifically questions about whether there was any overlap between her formal position and my unofficial role. “I never had access to nonpublic information or profited from my position, nor do I believe that my role presented conflicts of interest,” wrote Icahn, adding, “I never sought any special benefit for any company with which I have been involved, and have only expressed views that I believed would benefit the refining industry as a whole.”

The announcement from Icahn, the founder and majority shareholder of conglomerate Icahn Enterprises, comes days after a number of business leaders resigned from the White House’s American Manufacturing Council in the aftermath of Trump’s response to last weekend’s violence in Charlottesville, Virginia. The activist investor, who leads Icahn Enterprises LP , was an early and close ally of Trump who was often praised by the Republican for his business acumen.
Carl Icahn steps down as special advisor to the President.