Four British legislators charged over expenses

British state prosecutors charged four legislators with false accounting over alleged abuses of the parliamentary expenses system. The charges are the latest twist in a scandal over politicians' expenses that have damaged Britain's ruling Labour and opposition Conservative parties in the run-up to a general election that must take place by June. In four cases, we have concluded that there is sufficient evidence to bring criminal charges and that it is in the public interest to charge the individuals concerned, said Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer in a statement. He named the four as Elliot Morley, David Chaytor and Jim Devine, who are Labour members of the lower House of Commons, and Paul White, known as Lord Hanningfield, a Conservative member of the upper House of Lords. Morley is a former environment minister. He faces two charges of dishonest claims for mortgage expenses. Chaytor faces three charges of dishonest claims, while Devine faces two charges for making claims based on false invoices. The BBC reported that the three had issued a joint statement denying the charges and vowing to "defend our position robustly". White faces six charges, centered on numerous claims for overnight expenses for staying in London when records show he was driven home and did not spend the night in London. He could not immediately be reached for comment. The four defendants are scheduled to appear in court on March 11. They face a maximum sentence of seven years in jail.