Carl Icahn denies he knew about Trump’s steel tariff announcement before dumping stocks

The following article by Cleve R. Wootson Jr. and Marwa Eltagouri was posted on the Washington Post website March 7, 2018:

Investor Carl Icahn was an adviser to President Trump before he left in August to avoid any conflicts of interest. Credit: Brendan McDermid/Reuters

Billionaire activist-investor Carl Icahn said Wednesday that he knew nothing about President Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports before deciding to sell shares in a company that makes cranes for heavy construction.

“We don’t generally comment on rumors, but the recent media speculation regarding our sale of Manitowoc stock calls for a response,” Icahn, a former Trump adviser, said in a short statement on his website.

“We state for the record: Any suggestion that we had prior knowledge of the Trump administration’s announcement of new tariffs on steel imports is categorically untrue. We reduced our position in Manitowoc for legitimate investment reasons having nothing to do with that announcement.” Continue reading “Carl Icahn denies he knew about Trump’s steel tariff announcement before dumping stocks”