Wolfowitz' Girlfriend and her World Bank Promotion
Paul Wolfowitz, President Bush's former Deputy Secretary of Defense, is now President of the World Bank. Murray Waas reports a scandal is brewing over whether his girlfriend, Shaha Riza, was promoted in contravention of bank guidelines and given a raise to more than double the amount the bank's rules allowed.
Bank regulations disallow bank employees from supervising spouses or romantic partners, but Wolfowitz reportedly attempted to circumvent the rules so he would be able to continue to work with Riza. Informed by the bank's ethics officers that that would not be allowable, the problem appeared solved when Riza was detailed to work at the State Department's public diplomacy office in September 2005--even though her salary was still to be paid by the World Bank.
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Before she was detailed over to the State Department, she was earning $132,660, according to bank records obtained by the Governmental Accountability Project. Had the bank's board adhered to its ordinary rules, as Riza was shifted over to the State Department, she should have only been eligible for a raise of about $20,000. Instead she was given a raise of $47,340, whereupon her salary became $180,000. Then last year, she received yet another raise which brought her salary to $193,000. That's substantially even more than the salary of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Wolfowitz is considered one of the architects of the Iraq War. According to a memo circulated by the organization that represents the Bank's 13,000 employees, employees are "expressing concern, dismay, and outrage" over Riza's favorable treatment.
An unresolved question: Is the couple still together?
The Washington Examiner recently reported that the two had split up. But Wonkette reported earlier today that the two of them were recently spotted making out after a party at the Japanese ambassador's house.
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