Russian State Duma passes law lifting requirement that legislators declare income publicly

The Russian State Duma has passed the third and final reading of a law that lifts the requirement that lawmakers publicly declare their income.

According to Pavel Krasheninnikov, one of the law's coauthors, deputies will still have to file income declarations, but the information will only appear publicly in a summarized format, “without personal data.”

Explaining why it was necessary to stop requiring legislators to report their finances publicly, Krasheninnikov said: “Not everybody wants to do it; [they’re] lazy.”

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov assured journalists that the law will not lead to an rise in corruption, and claimed the new measures are necessary because of Russia’s “special military operation” (Kremlin-speak for the war in Ukraine).