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Trump's Pick For Army Secretary Drops Out Of Consideration

Vincent Viola says he can't be Army secretary because his business conflicts of interest are too vast.

By: Grant Suneson

Posted at 1:22 PM, Feb 04, 2017

and last updated 2017-02-04 13:22:00-05

The Trump administration is searching for an Army secretary again after its top pick backed out of consideration.

Billionaire stock trader and West Point graduate Vincent Viola reportedly couldn't divest from enough of his assets to satisfy the Pentagon.

Viola says he will continue to support the Trump administration and the troops as a civilian.

Viola has a number of properties, including the NHL's Florida Panthers. After weeks of working to find ways to avoid conflicts of interest, he withdrew.

That leaves the military with several key absences for now. Nominees for the secretaries of the Navy and Air Force are still waiting for hearings.

Those two are in line behind some of Trump's more controversial nominees, like Betsy DeVos for education secretary. In fact, the hearings for the two potential military secretaries haven't been scheduled.