NHL Panthers Owner & Chair Vincent Viola on Friday "adruptly withdrew his name from consideration" to be President Trump's Secretary of the Army, citing his "inability to get around strict Defense Department rules concerning his family businesses," according to Leo Shane III of the MILITARY TIMES. Sources said that Viola had been "looking for ways to divest from his businesses -- including ownership of the hockey team -- to take the top civilian Army post." Sources said that Viola had "planned to transfer ownership to other family members but turn over operations responsibilities" to Panthers Vice Chair Doug Cifu. However, that arrangement "did not meet Pentagon requirements" (MILITARY TIMES, 2/3). In Miami, Harris & Richards noted Viola has a majority interest in Miami-based Eastern Air Lines, which was recently "resurrected as a charter company." The N.Y. Times last Thursday reported Viola was "trying to swap his Eastern ownership for a stake in Swift Air, a charter airline that has secured millions of dollars in federal government sub-contracts." Some of those contracts "involve deporting undocumented immigrants" (MIAMI HERALD, 2/4). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Paul Sonne noted Viola is the first of Trump's nominees to "drop out of the running due to concerns about divesting his business interests." Because Viola "actively owns multiple companies, the divestiture and disclosure process would likely have proven harder for him than for other nominees with family money or stockholdings" (WSJ.com, 2/4).
HOLD UP: NFL Jets Owner Woody Johnson on Saturday said that despite Trump's assertion last month, he "hasn't been named ambassador to the United Kingdom ... yet." Johnson: "That's not official. Speculative at this point." Johnson said that there are some "technicalities that must take place first." Johnson: "[Trump] said it but it has to become official. It's a process you have to go through" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 2/5).
