UK lawmaker quits over expense claims fraud

A House of Commons legislator says he is quitting Parliament after pleading guilty to dishonestly claiming about 14,000 pounds ($22,000) in expense payments. Eric Illsley, 55, said Wednesday he would step down as a lawmaker, which will trigger a special election in the Barnsley Central district of northern England.
Illsley pleaded guilty Tuesday to three charges of false accounting. He will be sentenced next month. If the sentence was 12 months or longer, he would have been expelled from Parliament. Prosecutors said he dishonestly claimed expense payments for insurance, repairs, utility bills and taxes. Illsley's prosecution follows revelations in 2009 that politicians billed the public for items including horse maanure and pornographic movies.