On Friday, April 28, BBC chairman Richard Sharp resigned after an investigation determined that he had violated rules by failing to reveal his participation in arranging a loan for then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The controversy surrounding Sharp’s appointment to lead the BBC put additional strain on Johnson’s successor, Rishi Sunak.
Sunak lost his deputy prime minister, Dominic Raab, a week ago after another investigation found him guilty of abusing state personnel.
Sharp was Sunak’s boss at the financial giant Goldman Sachs and is a Conservative Party donor.
The chairman of the British Broadcasting Corporation is appointed by the UK monarch on the advice of the government.
Sharp’s appointment by Johnson was criticised at the time with allegations of favoritism. ..
Sharp “failed to disclose potential perceived conflicts of interest” to a committee of MPs who were vetting his appointment by Johnson in early 2021, the inquiry by a senior UK lawyer found.
“There is a risk of a perception that Mr Sharp was recommended for appointment because he assisted… the former prime minister in a private financial matter,” lawyer Adam Heppinstall found.
Sharp was accused of “significant errors of judgement” by the same committee of MPs in February for failing to disclose his role in the transaction.
Sharp put Johnson in touch with a distant relative of the prime minister who offered him an £800,000 ($1 million) credit facility when he was being considered for the BBC position in late 2020.
Sharp denied receiving the post as a reward for assisting Johnson, but announced his departure shortly after Heppinstall sent his report to Sunak’s cabinet.
He admitted to violating conflict-of-interest guidelines for top UK officials, but claimed it was “inadvertent and not material” to his nomination to the BBC.
“Nevertheless, I have decided that it is right to prioritise the interests of the BBC,” he said in a statement, confirming he would step down at the end of June to give time for a new chair to be found.
“I feel that this matter may well be a distraction from the Corporation’s good work were I to remain in post until the end of my term.”