"Finally ..... what happened porker got caught did we? Cheers, coming right back at you Big guy!"

Mike Duffy reimburses more than $90,000 in Senate living allowance

Friday, April 19, 2013

Embattled Tory senator Mike Duffy has reimbursed $90,172.24 in senate living allowance expenses to the Receiver General, according to a statement from the Standing Senate Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration.

Global News reported on Thursday that Duffy hadn't reimbursed tens of thousands of dollars he collected improperly and wanted to wait until his audit to learn if he is “required” to do so.

“We haven’t heard from Deloitte. But I’m a man of my word, and if repayment is required, it’ll be repaid,” he said.

In the Global interview, Duffy wasn't even ready to admit fully he made an error.

“I didn’t say I made a mistake,” he told Global. “I said I may have made a mistake. Words are important.”

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW ON GLOBAL NEWS

Just a day earlier, Duffy was confronted by a Global reporter and pressed for a simple yes or no answer as to whether or not he repaid the money.

“I’m not going to answer your question: I’m a man of my word,” he said.

When pressed again, Duffy asked the reporter what was wrong with him.

On Friday afternoon, Government House leader Peter Van Loan denied that Duffy ever said he'd repay the allowance in the first place.

NDP MP Charlie Angus asked in Question Period why the senator was suddenly adopting a "catch-me-if-you-can attitude" and not just ponying up the cash.

"I do not believe he made those comments," Van Loan said. "We will wait for the findings of the (auditor's) report, of course, but our government has been clear. We have committed to ensuring that all expenses are appropriate at the Senate, that the rules governing expenses are appropriate and that the Senate does follow through on that."

Confused yet?

Duffy said in February he just wanted to pay back the living expenses to put the matter behind him.
Duffy claimed a cottage in Cavendish, P.E.I. was his primary residence and his long-time home in an Ottawa suburb was a “secondary” residence.

He blamed the entire controversy on confusing paperwork.

His scandal proved embarrassing for the Conservatives this winter and made him one of several senators allegedly behaving badly this year.