Bush picks Wolfowitz replacement

WASHINGTON -- President Bush has chosen Robert Zoellick, a one-time U.S. trade representative and former No. 2 official at the State Department, to lead the World Bank, a senior administration official said Tuesday.

Bush will announce his decision today.

Zoellick would succeed Paul Wolfowitz, who is stepping down June 30 after findings by a special bank panel that he broke bank rules when he arranged a hefty compensation package in 2005 for his girlfriend, Shaha Riza, a bank employee. The controversy led to calls from Europeans, the bank's staff, aid groups, Democratic politicians and others for Wolfowitz to step down.

Zoellick's selection has received positive reaction from other nations, and the White House expects him to be accepted by the World Bank executive board, the senior administration official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the president had not announced the selection.