Billionaire Californian gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman has addressed potential conflicts created by her broad holdings in businesses regulated from Sacramento — distressed mortgages, oil exploration and alternative energy among them — by suggesting that she would place her entire portfolio in a blind trust if elected. But unloading that political baggage may not be easy. Whitman’s vast fortune is spread across scores of carefully guarded funds that function as money harbors for the world’s wealthiest individuals, and they can’t be liquidated quickly. Experts, including the Republican candidate’s campaign attorney, say getting out of some of the funds could prove impossible any time soon. Whitman may be bound by contracts she signed obligating her to hold some of the investments for years, and some funds might be difficult to unload due to the scarcity of buyers willing to take her place. Under state law, governors are considered to have full knowledge of their investments — and therefore full responsibility for potential conflicts of interest — as they existed before a blind trust was established.
A blind trust for Meg Whitman’s assets might not be achieved quickly
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