[ad_1]
Deal
World Bank President David Malpass, a former adviser to President Donald Trump, told his staff that he was deeply shocked by the storming of the Capitol by Trump supporters on Wednesday and that he had been concerned about the events for years.
FILE PHOTO: World Bank President David Malpass responds to a journalist question during an opening press conference at the IMF-World Bank Fall 2019 Annual Meetings of Finance Ministers and Bank Governors, in Washington, USA, October 17, 2019. REUTERS / Mike Theiler / File Photo
WASHINGTON (AP) – World Bank President David Malpass, a former adviser to President Donald Trump, told his staff that he was deeply shocked by the storming of the Capitol by Trump supporters on Wednesday and that he had been concerned about events during years.
Malpass, a former chief economist at Bear Stearns and Co who advised Trump’s election campaign in 2016, was nominated by the Republican president for a five-year term as head of the multilateral development bank and approved by the bank’s board in April 2019.
In a letter sent Thursday and seen by Reuters, Malpass expressed deep concern over Wednesday’s attack on the US Congress and assured staff that the bank was working to ensure their safety.
“Like many of you, I have been closely following the disturbing events in Washington, DC. It is difficult to express deep concern over the events of the past few years,” Malpass said. “I was deeply shocked by what happened yesterday, and I spoke to the Board of Directors this morning.”
Trump is under mounting pressure to resign two days after he urged his supporters to fight the Nov. 3 election result he lost and march to the United States Capitol, shortly before hundreds of people stormed into the seat of Congress as legislators prepared to certify. the election of Democrat Joe Biden as president.
Images of protesters smashing windows and scaling the Capitol walls caused shock and consternation around the world, with many world leaders blaming Trump for helping fuel the attack.
The World Bank often stresses the need for the rule of law and good governance in its work with developing countries.
Some 16,000 employees of the Washington-based World Bank and its sister organization, International Finance Corp, have been working mostly remotely since March, when the pandemic shutdown began.
Bank staff welcomed Malpass’s message, according to a source familiar with the matter. Malpass has been providing regular updates throughout the year, including during protests in Washington this summer after the murder of a black man below the knee of a white police officer in Minneapolis.
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal)
