LONDON – A House of Commons legislator pleaded guilty Tuesday to dishonestly claiming about 14,000 pounds ($22,000) in expense payments, an admission that could lead to his removal from Parliament and trigger a special election.
Eric Illsley told a court in London that he now accepted three charges of false accounting, which he had previously denied.
His bogus claims were exposed during a scandal over the expense claims of British lawmakers, in which it came to light that legislators had made inappropriate and unlawful use of public money.
Justice John Saunders said Illsley — who had already been suspended by the main opposition Labour Party and is now in parliament as an independent legislator — will be sentenced next month.
If he is jailed for more than 12 months, Illsley will be disqualified as a lawmaker, meaning an election would be needed to select his replacement.
Even if Illsley receives a less severe punishment, House of Commons authorities could hold a vote on a resolution to remove him.
Prosecutors had accused the 55-year-old of dishonestly claiming expense payments for insurance, repairs, utility bills and taxes on a home in London between 2005 and 2008.
Illsley "took advantage of the trust placed in him by his constituents to act honorably on their behalf," Simon Clements, head of the special crime division of Britain's Crown Prosecution Service said following the hearing.
"Instead, he siphoned off public money into his own pockets and betrayed those who rightly expected the highest standards of integrity from him as a Member of Parliament," Clements said.
The jailing of serving lawmakers is rare in Britain, with the most high profile recent case involving ex-minister Jonathan Aitken. Aitken was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison in 1999 on perjury charges.
Last week, ex-lawmaker David Chaytor was jailed for 18 months on expense fraud charges.
The prosecution of Illsley and Chaytor follows the 2009 disclosure of previously secret files which revealed how politicians had billed the public for items including swank second homes, horse manure and pornographic movies.
Two former legislators and two House of Lords members are scheduled to face trial in the coming months on charges related to their expenses.
A total of 392 current and former legislators were ordered to repay 1.12 million pounds ($1.8 million) following their extravagant or inappropriate claims.
Labour Party leader Ed Miliband urged Illsley to step down from the House of Commons following his admission of guilt.
"I think he should now do the right thing and resign as a member of Parliament, because I don't think he can be a credible voice for his constituents having pleaded guilty to such a serious offense," Miliband told the BBC.
Low taxes campaign group the Taxpayers' Alliance said Illsley should not have stood for office at Britain's national election if he knew he had made wrongful claims for public money.
Illsley has served his district in northern England since 1987 and was returned at May's election with a slightly reduced majority.
"It is disgraceful that Illsley has dragged out the process and stood for Parliament again, despite knowing that he was a guilty criminal who had ripped off the taxpayers whose interests he was supposed to serve," said Matthew Sinclair, the Taxpayers' Alliance's director.
