The Bank of England says its Canadian governor, Mark Carney, did not attend and had no knowledge of a Presidents Club Dinner auction that offered him up as a prize at the all-male fundraising event. The gala auction has drawn widespread condemnation and triggered several resignations amid allegations of sexual harassment at the event. The Presidents Club announced on Wednesday that it will close following the uproar.
A tea date with Mark Carney was among the prizes being offered at the event, which took place on Jan. 18 at the Dorchester Hotel. The event typically raises millions of dollars for charity.
The BOE says Carney was “deeply dismayed” that his name was included in the auction, and that the Bank was not contacted “in any way” prior to the event.
The Carney offer was re-auctioned from a previous prize awarded to the Lord Mayor, the bank says.
“The Bank has a clear policy on the charities with which it is associated and this does not include the Presidents Club,” a BOE spokesperson said in a statement.
“The unauthorised re-auctioning of the prize at the Presidents Club dinner was clearly against the spirit of the original donation. The Bank has therefore made clear that it has been withdrawn.”
