Inter-American Development Bank Directors Unanimously Vote to Remove Trump-Picked Chief for Ethics Violation

The board of directors for the Inter-American Development Bank has recommended removing the bank's Trump-appointed president, Mauricio Claver-Carone.

The board of the top development bank focused on Latin America voted to remove him Thursday, following an independent ethics investigation on his misconduct.

According to Bloomberg, the voting was behind closed doors. However, the votes from all 14 of the bank's executive directors were unanimous, and the bank's governors only have until Tuesday to decide whether to fire the Trump-picked official.

All of the bank's Board of Governors who will be making that decision represent all 48 of the bank's member nations, most of which are in Latin America.

According to Reuters, Claver-Carone's termination requires a majority of the total voting power of the governing board. The three largest shareholders, which are the United States, Argentina, and Brazil, hold nearly 53% of the voting power.

Mauricio Claver-Carone's Ethics Violations as President of the Inter-American Development Bank

An independent investigation launched by the bank's executives found that Mauricio Claver-Carone violated several ethics rules. The Associated Press reported that he favored a top aide with whom he had a romantic relationship.

The embattled bank president also created a "climate of fear of retaliation" among staff members. The U.S. Treasury Department noted that borrowing countries had forfeited the confidence of the bank's staff and shareholders because of Claver-Carone.

A Treasury Department spokesperson told the Associated Press that a change of leadership is necessary. The Biden administration has been reportedly pushing for his removal because he refused to fully cooperate with an independent probe.

Claver-Carone allegedly remained defiant despite the bank's top executives unanimously voting against him. He noted that replacing him would only embolden China, which joined the bank during the Obama administration.

He added that it was shameful for the U.S. government to comment to the press before notifying him and not defending him against "clearly fabricated information."

Strong Evidence For Mauricio Claver-Carone's Ethics Violations

The independent investigators, which comprised lawyers from the legal firm, Davis Polk, found evidence to support allegations that the bank president had a relationship with his chief of staff since 2019, when the two held senior positions on the National Security Council.

The two allegedly drew up a "contract" on the back of a place mat while they dined in a steakhouse in Medellin, Colombia. It reportedly happened during the summer of 2019 while attending the Organization of American States' annual meeting.

AP reported that the contract, which investigators uncovered, allegedly outlined a plan for the two to divorce their spouses and get married. It also had a breach clause stating that failing to fulfill the terms would bring "sadness and heartbreak" that could only be mitigated by some "candlewax and a naughty box" from a Miami hotel.

Other evidence reportedly included the bank president sending a romantic poem to his chief-of-staff and having a 1 a.m. hotel room rendezvous with her. Claver-Carone also awarded her a 40% pay raises in violation of the bank's conflict-of-interest policies.

Claver-Carone has since disputed the accuracy of the report, denouncing how the review was conducted and offering no hint that he was considering resignation. The investigators noted that the bank's president had also denied ever having a relationship with his longtime right hand.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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