MPs tell Barclays to stop fundraising for Mitt Romney
MPs tell Barclays to stop fundraising for Mitt Romney
Bank at centre of Libor-setting scandal says it is non-partisan and donations are made by employees in a personal capacity
Amelia Hill and Rupert Neate
Barclays has privately distanced itself from its bankers' donations to Mitt Romney, the US Republican presidential candidate, after its executives were accused in parliament of fundraising for political candidates instead of working to rebuild the public's trust in the wake of the Libor-setting scandal.
Executives at Barclays have donated over $1m to Romney's presidential campaign and will hand over more money on Thursday night at an exclusive fundraising dinner in a secret Mayfair location, where tickets cost between $50,000 and $75,000.
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The EDM, whose primary sponsor was Grahame Morris MP, criticised the fact that the recently departed Barclays chief executive, Bob Diamond, and other existing senior Barclays executives have played a prominent role in fundraising efforts for the Romney campaign.
The dinner was due to be co-hosted by Diamond but he pulled out after resigning as chief executive in the wake of the Libor rate-fixing scandal. Diamond has been replaced by Patrick Durkin, the managing director of Barclays Capital, the bank's "casino banking" investment arm.
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/jul/25/barclays-fundraising-mitt-romney
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