WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush expects World Bank chief Paul Wolfowitz to stay in his job, despite a probe by the organization's board into whether he violated rules by promoting his girlfriend to a higher-paying job without board approval, a White House spokeswoman said Friday.

Such promotions normally are reviewed by the board's ethics committee.

"The president has full confidence in Paul Wolfowitz. He's done a remarkable job at the World Bank, where they are working to lift people up out of poverty from around the world. He's apologized for the matter," Dana Perino told reporters.

The bank lends about $20 billion a year to developing nations.

Bush nominated Wolfowitz, a key architect of the Iraq War, to the top bank post in March 2005, and the board approved his choice.

On Thursday, Wolfowitz apologized for his actions, which took place shortly after he joined the bank.

The World Bank workers union wants him to be fired.