| But the SNP has dismissed the complaint as a “publicity stunt” and “sour grapes”.
Mr FitzPatrick received the Ł10,000 severance payment when he left Dundee City Council to pursue a seat in Holyrood in 2007.
But it has emerged he failed to declare the payment in his register of interests once taking up the post of MSP.
Now a Dundee man has asked Jim Dyer, the Scottish Parliament’s standards commissioner, to investigate if this is a breach of the rules.
David Falconer’s letter reads, “I completely accept Mr FitzPatrick was entitled to this payment, but I am concerned it is not declared in his member’s register of interests.”
Mr FitzPatrick is not allowed to discuss the probe, but an SNP spokesman today hit out at the allegation, describing it as a “publicity stunt”.
He added, “If a complaint has been made to the Standards Commissioner this only exposes the depths to which opponents of the SNP will sink. That the complaint has found its way to the papers shows it for the publicity stunt it is.
“As the Telegraph’s own poll showed, Joe Fitzpatrick’s decision to give the money to good causes won overwhelming public backing. This just sounds like sour grapes.
“Labour’s attempt to smear Keith Brown MSP with similar allegations has been thoroughly rejected by the standards commissioner. Labour should stop wasting his time and get on with putting their own house in order.”
It is not the first time the severance pay has caused controversy. In September 2006, Mr FitzPatrick announced he would give the Ł10,000 to local charities and community projects if he won the Holyrood seat.
But the Labour Party candidate for the constituency, then city council administration leader Jill Shimi, accused Mr FitzPatrick of trying to “bribe” the electorate.
She wrote to the Electoral Commission asking them if the offer constituted a breach of electoral law as it offered a financial inducement to vote for him.
But the commission declined to get involved in the dispute and the Tele’s own phone poll on the subject showed that Mr FitzPatrick had almost unanimous support from the Dundee public.
Speaking to the Tele today about the good causes that had benefited from the money, Mr FitzPatrick said, “When there was all the controversy in regard to this I faced two choices.
“Having been accused of trying to bribe the electorate, I could have decided I would not give the money away after all.
“On the other hand, I could have insisted that every cheque I gave away appeared in the paper.
“I decided not to do any of those. Instead I have quietly been giving deserving organisations money. I have probably given away about a third of the money up to now.
“I have not requested publicity and will continue to give money to organisations as and when I decide they are deserving of it.”
Mr Dyer told the Tele he couldn’t comment on the matter. Last week he cleared Ochil MSP Keith Brown of a similar offence. |
