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Florida Panthers owner drops out as Trump's Army secretary nominee

sean leahy
Contributing writer
Vincent J. Viola, Chairman, Owner and Governor of Sunrise Sports & Entertainment, the Florida Panthers Hockey Club and the BB&T Center speaks to sponsors during on Friday, Oct. 11, 2013 at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Fla. Mr. Viola is currently the Chairman and CEO of Virtu Financial and is one of the nation’s foremost leaders in electronic trading. (Photo by Omar Vega/Invision/AP)

Almost two months after President Donald Trump nominated Vincent Viola for the Secretary of the Army position, the owner of the Florida Panthers has withdrawn his name from consideration.

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According to Bloomberg, Viola is out because divesting from his businesses, which includes his ownership of the Panthers, proved too difficult.

Viola informed President Donald Trump Friday that he will be unable to accept the nomination because separating from the organizations that he has built over the last 35 years have proven insurmountable, said two of the people familiar with Viola’s decision, who asked not to be named.

The full extent of Viola’s financial holdings and ownership stakes in other companies would’ve been detailed in ethics and financial disclosure forms to be filed as the nomination process unfolded. Without them, it’s difficult to know what business arrangements tripped him up. This is the first Trump nominee to withdraw from consideration.

Panthers CEO Matthew Caldwell confirmed the news to George Richards of the Miami Herald Friday night.

Viola, a U.S. Army infantry officer and the founder and chairman of Virtu Financial, announced in December after being nominated that the Panthers would remain in his family’s control if he was approved by the Senate. Doug Cifu, the team’s Vice Chairman, Partner and Alternate Governor, would have taken over Viola’s role of Chairman and Governor of Sunrise Sports and Entertainment. That, according to The Military Times, would not have met Pentagon requirements for the position.

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“I appreciate the confidence President Trump showed in me,” he said in a statement obtained by The Military Times. “I offer my continued support for President Trump and his administration, and look forward to redoubling my efforts to support the Army and its veterans as private citizens.”

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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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