Spains health minister steps down over degree scandal
Spains health minister, Carmen Montón, resigned her post Tuesday after being caught up in an academic scandal.
Montón stepped down over allegations she was awarded a masters degree in 2011 on the basis of fraudulent grades.
Spanish media reported Tuesday that the university that awarded the degree — the King Juan Carlos University (URJC) in Madrid — was investigating changes to Montóns file that showed her passing all parts of the course, when in fact at least one part had not been submitted.
The university said Montóns “file is being reviewed course by course, to establish in which context these grade changes that have been revealed by an inspection were made,” according to El País.
At a press conference, Montón insisted she had not “committed any irregularity,” and that she could say this with “a very calm conscience.” She added that her decision to step down was because she did not want “this situation” to impact the governments work.
Montón is the second minister to resign since Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez took office in June. Màxim Huerta stepped down as culture and sports minister following reports he had been fined for avoiding paying hundreds of thousands of euros in taxes.
Former Madrid regional premier Cristina Cifuentes and current leader of the Popular Party Pablo Casado are among those to have been previously caught up in the scandal at the same university.
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