Iceland Prime Minister Temporarily Steps Down Over Offshore Tax Scandal

FILE - This is a Monday April 4, 2016 file photo of Iceland's Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson, as he speaks during a parliamentary session in Reykjavik . Iceland’s president on Tuesday April 5, 2016, ... FILE - This is a Monday April 4, 2016 file photo of Iceland's Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson, as he speaks during a parliamentary session in Reykjavik . Iceland’s president on Tuesday April 5, 2016, refused a request from the prime minister to dissolve parliament and call a new election amid a dispute over the premier’s offshore tax affairs. Embattled Prime Minister Sigmunder David Gunnlaugsson is facing growing calls for him to step down because of reported offshore financial dealings by him and his wife that opposition lawmakers say show a significant conflict of interest with his job. (AP Photo/Brynjar Gunnarsson, File) MORE LESS

REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP) — Iceland’s government says the prime minister is proposing that the vice chairman of his Progressive Party takes over the prime minister’s office amid a controversy over the premier’s offshore holdings.

The government said in a statement Tuesday that Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson has suggested Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson takes over for “an unspecified amount of time.”

Johannsson earlier Tuesday said Gunnlaugsson was stepping down as leader of the country’s coalition government.

However, the government statement said Gunnlaugsson had not resigned, contradicting earlier statements, and that he will “will continue to serve as Chairman of the Progressive Party.”

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  1. Yeah. That whole not paying taxes to your country when you happen to be the leader of said country, has got to be a real bummer. I suspect he’ll go somewhere now where they can’t extradite him for back taxes. Gotta keep that pot of gold just in case…right?

  2. If only we could muster the political will to make this kind of thing happen here in the good ol’ U.S. of A.

    Seriously, once the reporters get around to outing all of the US Barons and Political leaders involved in this kind of shenanigans, my bet is that NONE of them will face any meaningful punishment.

  3. I suspect the IRS might have something to say about this, providing Congress hasn’t cut off all their funding to go after White Collar criminals yet, including the ones in our government. I know they had to downsize that particular department since the Pukes took over however.

  4. Gunnlaugsson is the first major scalp […]

    The AP botched this. “Gunnlaugsson” isn’t a family name, it’s a patronymic; his father is Gunnlaugur Magnús Sigmundsson. According to the rules governing Icelandic names, he should be called Sigmundur Davið Gunnlaugson the first time his name is mentioned, and Sigmundur Davið afterward.

  5. Tip of the iceberg comes to mind here, along with a mental image of an awful lot of people nervously scrambling for whatever cover they can find, as soon as possible.

    Stay tuned, film at: (to be determined later)!!!

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