Senior Russian lawmaker quits parliament over allegations he owns luxury property in Florida
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A senior lawmaker from the pro-Kremlin party has resigned his seat in parliament after an anti-corruption campaigner alleged that he owns properties in Florida worth more than $2 million.
Vladimir Pekhtin, chairman of the State Duma's ethics committee, announced his resignation at a parliament session on Wednesday, saying that he does so in order to protect his party from the scandal.
Copies of deeds and other legal documents revealed by Russian anti-corruption crusader Alexei Navalny indicated that Pekhtin together with his son own two condos in Miami Beach and a villa in Ormond Beach, Florida.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pekhtin has denied owning the property although he admitted that his signatures on the deeds were genuine. Last week he told Izvestia daily that he "owns practically no property abroad."