Rome mayor resigns over new expense scandal

Pressure continued to mount for Marino to resign, with fellow DP members and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi distancing themselves or no longer expressing support for the beleaguered mayor.

Newspapers have documented a half-dozen dinners where either the alleged guests or the restaurant itself disputed Marino’s version of events.

In a Facebook post earlier Thursday, Marino wrote he had agreed to pay back 20,000 euros ($22,600) in expense claims, saying that while all the money had been spent legitimately on official entertainment, he would cover the cost as a personal gift to Italy’s financially-strapped capital.

The mayor faced calls to resign previous year for a series on unpaid parking tickets, and saw his popularity slump after a corruption scandal implicated several politicians, including his predecessor. A Rome church organisation also denied that he had dined with its members as he put in his expense claim.

The scandal erupted after Marino published his expenses in a display of his commitment to transparency.

On one occasion he said he had dined out with the ambassador of Vietnam, who promptly denied the encounter. Romans fear this does not bode well for their city’s ability to cope with the millions of pilgrims expected for the Holy Year, which starts in December.

Under Italian law, Marino’s resignation will take effect in 20 days, after which a commissioner will take charge of running the Eternal City until an election to replace him is held.