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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: inappropriate expenses

inappropriate expenses stories: 17 news summaries

 Brown to Repay 
 $20K in Expense 
 Scandal 

PM had called for ministers to pony up

(Newser) - Gordon Brown has been sent a bill for £12,415 ($19,600) for questionable expense account claims, and the prime minister intends to pay up, 10 Downing St. announced today. The lion’s share of that money was used for housecleaning, with a bit going to gardening and decorating.... More »

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British Parliament Gordon Brown David Cameron Britain scandal inappropriate expenses Nick Clegg

investigation

Cornyn, Schumer Travel in High Style

Senators use more taxpayer dollars than any other lawmakers

(Newser) - Senators John Cornyn and Chuck Schumer have done a lot of jet-setting on the company dime, Politico reports. Each has spent more than $140,000 on travel this year alone, as much as 10 times what some colleagues spend. Cornyn, a Republican, racked up the biggest bill, which included the... More »

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Charles Schumer Senate Senate Democrats Senate Republicans John Cornyn inappropriate expenses US Senate travel expenses

 As 4th Minister Quits, 
 Brown's Outlook Bleak 

Blears resigns in potentially fatal blow to PM's authority

(Newser) - With one day to go before clutch British elections, another minister resigned from Gordon Brown's Cabinet today, dealing the beleaguered PM another devastating blow. Hazel Blears, an arch-Blairite who was exposed for avoiding $21,000 in capital gains tax, refused to praise Brown in her resignation statement. She is the... More »

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United Kingdom British Parliament Gordon Brown British elections Labour inappropriate expenses Blairites

(Newser) - UK Home Secretary Jacqui Smith will resign her post, the Times of London reports, in an effort to hang onto her seat in parliament despite the expense scandal swirling around her. Smith has been badly embarrassed by revelations that she had charged taxpayers for her family home, several digital... More »

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Gordon Brown UK politics Jacqui Smith Britain political scandal scandal inappropriate expenses British Labor Party expenses

UK Expenses Scandal Hits Alistair Darling

Govt's No. 2 claimed 2 houses at same time, may be demoted

(Newser) - Britain's ongoing political expenses scandal reached all the way to the second-highest post in government today, after the Telegraph broke news that Chancellor Alistair Darling reportedly expensed the service charge on a South London apartment he was renting out while also claiming allowances on his Downing Street house. Though he... More »

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United Kingdom British Parliament Gordon Brown Alistair Darling Chancellor of the Exchequer inappropriate expenses expenses

 British MP Billed 
 Taxpayers for 
 'Servants' Wing' 

Tory then sold house and evaded capital gains tax

(Newser) - Just when the scandal over British MPs' expenses seemed to be petering out comes news that a Conservative legislator charged taxpayers $27,000 to build servants' quarters at his second home, the Times of London reports. Sir John Butterfill told the BBC the suggestion he had servants was a "... More »

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United Kingdom British Parliament tax evasion Conservative Party inappropriate expenses staff expenses

Brown to Purge Cabinet After Expenses Flap

Scandal-hit ministers face axe as PM plans government overhaul

(Newser) - Gordon Brown has been dropping hints of a major reshuffle and possible constitutional reform as the crisis over British MPs' expenses continues. The Telegraph alleged today that two ministers fiddled with the rules to avoid paying capital gains tax after selling their homes. The PM is said to be preparing... More »

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 US Journo 
 Exposed UK 
 Expense Scandal 

Freelancer's Freedom of Information Act query lifted lid on abuse of system

(Newser) - The scandal shaking Britain's Parliament to its core was set in motion by a simple request from a freelance American writer, the New York Times reports. Heather Brooke submitted a query about politicians' expenses under Britain's Freedom of Information Act after it came into effect, only to meet years of... More »

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British Parliament Britain political scandal inappropriate expenses expenses Michael Martin Heather Brooke

UK Expenses Scandal Claims House Speaker

House of Commons speaker Michael Martin steps down

(Newser) - The ongoing controversy surrounding British MPs' lavish expenses has claimed its biggest victim: the speaker of the House of Commons. Michael Martin, who presides over the country's main legislative body, will announce his resignation today after losing the support of party leaders, including Gordon Brown—not for cheating on his... More »

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United Kingdom British Parliament Gordon Brown parliament inappropriate expenses expenses Michael Martin

(Newser) - The improper-expenses scandal roiling the British government is so crippling that the entire parliament ought to be dissolved, and an emergency general election held, opposition leader David Cameron said today. The “political system is paralyzed,” said Cameron, who could push for a June vote, the Telegraph reports. “... More »

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British Parliament Gordon Brown Labour Party Tory Party David Cameron inappropriate expenses special election expenses Michael Martin

Another UK Lawmaker Suspended
Over Expenses

Public outrage
grows over scandal

(Newser) - Britain’s Labour Party has suspended David Chaytor, the latest lawmaker caught up in a widening expense account scandal, the Daily Telegraph reports. Chaytor reportedly claimed $20,000 in interest on a mortgage that was already paid off. Chaytor has said he made an “unforgivable error in my... More »

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British Parliament Labour Party Britain taxpayer money inappropriate expenses expenses David Chaytor

UK Minister Resigns in Expense Flap

1st MP to step down says he acted '1 million percent by the book'

(Newser) - Britain’s justice minister resigned today amid a furor over a sketchy rental agreement, the first MP to do so following the revelation of excessive expenses charged by members of parliament to taxpayers, the Telegraph reports. Prime Minister Gordon Brown launched an investigation into whether Shahid Malik breached conduct codes... More »

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OPINION

Media Playing Dirty in Brown Expenses Flap

PM's sister-in-law hits back after fiasco over housekeeping

(Newser) - British politicians have endured four days' worth of brutal press coverage after a newspaper published leaked parliamentary expense accounts, which include claims for everything from major home renovations to a Kit Kat bar. Gordon Brown, normally thought of as a frugal preacher's son, expensed $10,000 for cleaning—made payable... More »

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United Kingdom British Parliament Gordon Brown housekeeper inappropriate expenses expenses

British in Uproar Over Bizarre MP Expenses

Ministers charged taxpayers for maids, x-rated movies, cat food

(Newser) - Britain is up in arms today over a series of outrageous and in many cases ridiculous expense account charges from some members of the government. The expense reports were leaked to the Daily Telegraph, which yesterday revealed, that Gordon Brown had paid his brother $9,800 for housecleaning services... More »

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Hubby of Top UK Minister Billed Taxpayers for Porn

Home secretary's
future in gov't in doubt

(Newser) - Jacqui Smith, the British home secretary, was fighting for her political future today after revelations that her husband had billed the taxpayer to watch pornography at their house. The $15 rental fees for two adult movies were bundled into the minister's Internet bill, which he expensed to parliament. Smith has... More »

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British Parliament pornography Jacqui Smith inappropriate expenses Home Secretary

No More Expense-Account Hookers for Deutsche Bank

Hotel porn, first-class travel take hit as credit crunch hits home in Germany

(Newser) - In a sign of just how bad the credit crisis has become, Deutsche Bank has forbidden its employees from using expense accounts to pay for brothel visits and hotel porn, the Independent reports. It's unclear if execs have been seeking relief from subprime woes—the German giant has written down... More »

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Deutsche Bank credit crisis brothel subprime crisis inappropriate expenses sex industry

Wiki's Wales Accused of Inappropriate Spending

Claims he abused
his foundation's trust

(Newser) - Jimmy Wales has been hit with allegations that he abused his position as founder of Wikipedia, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. A former Wikipedia employee, Danny Wool, has claimed on his blog that Wales used his Wikimedia Foundation credit card for personal expenses. Meanwhile, a former girlfriend released chat transcripts... More »

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17 Stories