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Billionaire Icahn Steps Down as Trump Adviser

by Reuters

   Billionaire investor Carl Icahn on Friday ended his role as a special
   adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump after facing criticism that his
   recommendations on policy could help his own investments.

   Some Democratic lawmakers and biofuels advocates had argued that
   Icahn's policy recommendations to the Republican administration created
   a conflict of interest with his businesses, including oil refining
   company CVR Energy Inc.

   Icahn denied any conflict of interest.

   "I chose to end this arrangement (with your blessing) because I did not
   want partisan bickering about my role to in any way cloud your
   administration," Icahn wrote in a letter to Trump released on his
   website.

   Icahn's departure came after a flurry of changes at the White House.
   Trump on Friday fired his chief strategist Stephen Bannon, two days
   after disbanding two high-profile business advisory groups.