Jeb Bush is stepping down from the board of directors at Rayonier Inc., according to a Monday filing from the forestry company. It’s further evidence he is seriously mulling a presidential bid as he continues to cut his corporate ties.
The two-sentence filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission states the former Florida governor notified Rayonier on Dec. 23 that he plans to resign from the board effective Dec. 31, adding that there were no disagreements between him and the company.
The filing comes just days after Bush told the board at Tenet Healthcare Corporation that he would step down, also effective Dec. 31. And he decided last week to leave the board of British bank Barclays at the end of the year.
Questions arose earlier this month — before Bush announced he was “actively exploring” a bid — about whether he was seriously interested in wanting to run for president after a Bloomberg report detailed his recent business activity. Private equity experts considered his ties unusual for a prospective candidate.
But his spokesman said Bush’s business interests would not stand in the way of a possible campaign.
“If he becomes a candidate, he’ll review all of his business engagements and comply with all necessary financial disclosures,” Kristy Campbell said at the time. “That is an approach consistent with what he did in all three of his campaigns for governor.”
His resignations from corporate boards further indicate that Bush is trying to tamp down doubt about a potential bid.