Numerous lawmakers are accused of abusing expense allowances

Public activist and TV host Andrius Tapinas continues his transparency campaign concerning politicians’ expense allowances. After examining spending on expenses by municipal councillors last year, he has moved to checking how members of parliament spend their expense allowances.

According to Tapinas, as the current parliamentary term of office is nearing completion, MPs have purchased expensive computers and phones, which will unlikely be used in their work as they will get to keep them as personal items.

“In my opinion, this is amoral abuse of taxpayer money and members of the Seimas know this,” Tapinas wrote in a post on Facebook on Wednesday

He notes that, based on regulations, politicians may keep phones, computers, other equipment and software purchased for expense allowances provided that they are acquired no later than 12 months until the expiration of the term of office, which ends on 12 November 2024. Therefore, MPs may keep the items bought before 15 November 2023.

Tapinas examined expensive purchases between September and 15 November 2023 and it has transpired that 18 out of 141 MPs purchased computer equipment in this period.

Politicians used expense allowances to buy premium and gaming laptops, smartphones and their cases, monitors, smartwatches, powerbanks and studio recording microphones for thousands of euros.

On Tuesday, MP Marius Matijošaitis of the Freedom Party suspended his party membership and left the list of candidates for the European Parliament amid reports on opaque spending. Tapinas found out that the MP bought not only new computers and smartphones, but also audio mixing equipment, a MIDI controller, a studio recording microphone and a book You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life.

Party’s leader Aušrinė Armonaitė said the entire situation was appalling and she expected the Freedom Party’s ethics commission to be “very rigorous in the assessment” of the MP’s actions.

Lawmakers are allocated monthly expense allowances amounting to 0.8 of an average salary for expenses related to their activities: stationery, computer rental, phone bills, transport services, souvenirs etc.

Commenting about the issue, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė said that regulations should be amended. She suggests including funds for expense allowances into lawmakers’ salaries.