Icahn steps down from role as Trump's regulatory advisor
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn announced on Friday he would no longer be serving in his informal role as special advisor to President Donald Trump on issues relating to regulatory reform.
Icahn said in a statement that he and Trump agreed the business magnate should abdicate his role to clear the way for Neomi Rao, Trump’s newly appointed Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs administrator.
1/2 Today, with President Trump’s blessing, I ceased to act as special advisor to the President on issues relating to regulatory reform.
— Carl Icahn (@Carl_C_Icahn) August 18, 2017
2/2 Here is a copy of the letter that I delivered to President Trump confirming this decision. https://t.co/ng9FJyRxlp
— Carl Icahn (@Carl_C_Icahn) August 18, 2017
Icahn maintains that despite criticism from Democrats, he never had access to “nonpublic information or profited from [his] position.”
The billionaire businessman’s decision to leave his role as a regulatory advisor comes just hours after the White House announced Trump’s Chief Strategist Steve Bannon would no longer be serving in the administration. Bannon tendered his resignation on Aug. 7, sources confirmed to Fox News Friday.