© . By Andrea Shalal and Cassandra Garrison WASHINGTON () – The board of governors of the Inter-American Development Bank has approved a resolution to hire an outside firm to investigate allegations that IDB president Mauricio Claver-Carone was involved in an improper relationship with a subordinate, sources familiar with the decision said Thursday. Some countries were still voting on the issue, but enough support was achieved for the investigation to proceed, two of the sources said. IDB executives met twice last week to discuss allegations that Claver-Carone had had an intimate relationship with a staff member, reported exclusively. A spokesman for the Latin American Regional Development Bank declined to comment on the vote. Speaking at an online event on Friday, Claver-Carone said he had been the target of an “anonymous political media campaign” and hoped to get a chance to defend himself. He was not immediately available for comment on the board vote on Thursday. Claver-Carone did not directly address the specific allegations, which were made in an anonymous letter. It was not immediately clear which company would be engaged to conduct the investigation. An anonymous email sent to the bank’s board of directors and the bank’s ethics officer in late March accused Claver-Carone of dating a senior strategist who reported him, according to the bank source with direct knowledge. of the meeting. did not see the email. The email also accused Claver-Carone and staff of misusing IDB funds, a source said, without giving more details. The IDB’s code of ethics on its website states, “You should not participate in employment-related decisions about someone with whom you have an intimate relationship.”
