Ray-Banned! Ex-lover of Italian minister barred from parliament in spy glass scandal.
Just when you thought you'd seen it all in Italian politics.
Maria Rosaria Boccia, the woman at the heart of a scandal that led to the resignation of Italy’s Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano, was banned from entering the Italian parliament on Tuesday.
The influencer said she wore a pair of Ray-Ban Stories glasses, a pair of Meta-powered spectacles equipped with a tiny camera and microphone, to film inside the parliamentary chamber — footage she then posted to her Instagram account.
According to a statement from the Chamber of Deputies, the Montecitorio Security Committee took the decision to ban Boccia due to her unauthorized filming in “particularly sensitive sites, including the Gallery of Presidents and the Transatlantic hall.”
Earlier this month, Boccia had claimed on social media that her intention was to provide a guided tour for her followers, asserting that she had done “nothing illegal” with the glasses.
However, the lower house of parliament disciplined her for violating rules prohibiting unauthorized recording within the building.
Sangiuliano resigned from his post on Friday after admitting to an affair with Boccia and attempting to hire her as a ministry consultant. Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni initially rejected his resignation.
Boccia announced on Instagram she had the new role as an adviser for major events to the culture ministry — a claim the ministry itself denied. She also published pictures of herself on business trips with Sangiuliano, who is married.
Sangiuliano has denied giving Boccia access to confidential documents or public funds. However, Italian prosecutors on Tuesday opened an investigation into his possible misuse of public funds and the disclosure of sensitive information.
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