Former Florida governor and 2016 Republican front-runner Jeb Bush has resigned from all nonprofit and corporate boards he had seats on, including his namesake educational foundation, according to various reports.
The resignations are an apparent attempt to head off any potential controversies the connections might make during his upcoming White House bid.
Bush has stepped down from the board of Academic Partnerships, a for-profit education company; Empower Software Solutions, a for-profit human resources consulting firm; and CorMatrix Cardiovascular, a private medical device company, according to reports in the Washington Post and Associated Press.
He reportedly is also examining his ties to other businesses such as his consulting firm, Jeb Bush & Associates, and evaluating if he should sever those as well.
The Republican Party’s 2012 nominee, Mitt Romney, found his ties to the corporate world, especially the private equity firm Bain Capital, to be fodder for a constant series of attacks by Democrats.
Bush announced earlier this month in a Facebook post that he will “actively explore” a 2016 presidential bid. A CNN poll last week put him in the front of the pack, with support from 23 percent of Republicans. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was second, with 13 percent.
