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| Two Former Cabinet Ministers in Britain Deny Wrongdoing After Graft Allegations | Two Former Cabinet Ministers in Britain Deny Wrongdoing After Graft Allegations |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| LONDON — After falling for an embarrassing media sting, two British former foreign secretaries were on Monday facing investigations into whether they broke rules prohibiting lawmakers from trading influence for money. | |
| Malcolm Rifkind, a member of the governing Conservative Party and head of a parliamentary panel that oversees British intelligence agencies, and Jack Straw, of the opposition Labour Party, were both caught by an undercover reporter posing as the representative of a Hong Kong-based company that purportedly sought to hire them. | Malcolm Rifkind, a member of the governing Conservative Party and head of a parliamentary panel that oversees British intelligence agencies, and Jack Straw, of the opposition Labour Party, were both caught by an undercover reporter posing as the representative of a Hong Kong-based company that purportedly sought to hire them. |
| The episode reopened a fractious debate over the probity of lawmakers, whose reputation with the British electorate has suffered from a series of scandals. With a general election on May 7, both parties moved quickly to try to limit the damage. | |
| The episode is particularly problematic for Mr. Rifkind, whose responsibilities give him high visibility and access to highly sensitive information. He stressed that the allegations against him were not related to intelligence or security issues. | The episode is particularly problematic for Mr. Rifkind, whose responsibilities give him high visibility and access to highly sensitive information. He stressed that the allegations against him were not related to intelligence or security issues. |
| Both men said they had asked for Parliament’s standards commissioner to investigate their cases. Mr. Straw said he would temporarily withdraw from Labour’s parliamentary party. In a more drastic step, Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative Party announced the suspension of Mr. Rifkind from its legislative group. | Both men said they had asked for Parliament’s standards commissioner to investigate their cases. Mr. Straw said he would temporarily withdraw from Labour’s parliamentary party. In a more drastic step, Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative Party announced the suspension of Mr. Rifkind from its legislative group. |
| Mr. Cameron added that Mr. Rifkind’s position as chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee was a question not for him, but for Parliament. | Mr. Cameron added that Mr. Rifkind’s position as chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee was a question not for him, but for Parliament. |
| Both lawmakers acknowledged meeting with an undercover journalist who claimed to represent P.M.R., a bogus company, and offered to pay them to use their influence. The investigation was conducted by Channel 4 and The Daily Telegraph, which in 2009 uncovered a scandal relating to lawmakers’ expenses from which Parliament took years to recover. | |
| Mr. Rifkind described the allegations against him as “very serious” but unfounded, telling the BBC, “I’m going to fight them with all my strength.” | |
| Mr. Straw was said to have boasted of operating “under the radar” to use his influence with the European Union and the government of Ukraine on behalf of a commodity firm that paid him around $90,000 a year. Mr. Rifkind was accused of telling the undercover reporter that he could provide access to “any ambassador that I wish to see.” | Mr. Straw was said to have boasted of operating “under the radar” to use his influence with the European Union and the government of Ukraine on behalf of a commodity firm that paid him around $90,000 a year. Mr. Rifkind was accused of telling the undercover reporter that he could provide access to “any ambassador that I wish to see.” |
| Mr. Rifkind, who was foreign secretary from 1995-97 and held other senior positions, told the undercover reporter that he expected payment equivalent to $7,500 to $12,000 a half day for his services, while Mr. Straw, foreign secretary from 2001-6, spoke of a daily rate equivalent to $7,500. | |
| Undercover operations to expose the behavior of people in high places are not unusual in Britain, but the practice has drawn criticism. | Undercover operations to expose the behavior of people in high places are not unusual in Britain, but the practice has drawn criticism. |
| Mr. Straw, who is supposed to retire from the House of Commons in May, said in a statement that he was “mortified that I fell into this trap, despite my best efforts to avoid this and my previous public criticism of colleagues of all parties who have done so in the past.” | Mr. Straw, who is supposed to retire from the House of Commons in May, said in a statement that he was “mortified that I fell into this trap, despite my best efforts to avoid this and my previous public criticism of colleagues of all parties who have done so in the past.” |
| He tried to investigate the company’s credentials, he said, but “my checks were not sufficient to overcome the skillful deception of the undercover reporters.” He added, “Any discussions with them were about what I might do once I left the Commons, not whilst I was still a serving M.P.” | |
| British lawmakers receive a salary of around 67,000 pounds a year, about $103,000, and additional expenses “to cover the costs of running an office, employing staff, having somewhere to live in London and in their constituency, and traveling between Parliament and their constituency,” according to Parliament’s website. | British lawmakers receive a salary of around 67,000 pounds a year, about $103,000, and additional expenses “to cover the costs of running an office, employing staff, having somewhere to live in London and in their constituency, and traveling between Parliament and their constituency,” according to Parliament’s website. |
| Interviewed on BBC radio, Mr. Rifkind said that “many ex-ministers, former chancellors, home secretaries, prime ministers, as well as other people, have served on advisory boards” and that it was “entirely proper” to do so. | Interviewed on BBC radio, Mr. Rifkind said that “many ex-ministers, former chancellors, home secretaries, prime ministers, as well as other people, have served on advisory boards” and that it was “entirely proper” to do so. |
| Mr. Rifkind argued that, though a parliamentary salary sounded substantial to those earning less, “the vast majority of people from a business or professional background earn far, far more than that.” | Mr. Rifkind argued that, though a parliamentary salary sounded substantial to those earning less, “the vast majority of people from a business or professional background earn far, far more than that.” |
| He added that he would not resign from the Intelligence and Security Committee “unless my committee colleagues wanted me to; certainly not.” | |
| Mr. Cameron said the Conservative Party would conduct its own disciplinary inquiry into Mr. Rifkind’s activities. His prospects of running in the general election in May as a candidate of the Conservative Party could be threatened unless the inquiry clears him. | Mr. Cameron said the Conservative Party would conduct its own disciplinary inquiry into Mr. Rifkind’s activities. His prospects of running in the general election in May as a candidate of the Conservative Party could be threatened unless the inquiry clears him. |