Lithuanian MP found not in breach of ethics for asking journalists to leave committee meeting

The head of Lithuania’s parliamentary Audit Committee, Artūras Skardžius, did not violate the Seimas statute or the Code of Conduct for Politicians when he asked journalists to leave a committee meeting last December, the Seimas Ethics and Procedure Commission ruled on Wednesday.

Eight members of the commission voted in favour of the decision, which concluded that Skardžius had acted in accordance with the rules governing media accreditation in the Seimas. These rules state that journalists may attend committee meetings—except closed sessions—only after notifying the committee chair in advance.

The commission acknowledged that while Skardžius thanked the journalists for their attendance and suggested they follow the meeting via live stream, this did not constitute a breach of procedure. The Seimas statute does not specify how committee meetings must be made accessible to media representatives, the ruling noted.

A complaint had been filed alleging that Skardžius effectively barred journalists from covering a public meeting of the Audit Committee, where the State Audit Office’s findings on Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) were being discussed. The complainant argued that this restricted the media’s ability to perform their professional duties.

In his defence, Skardžius stated that the LRT journalist and cameraman had arrived without prior notice, disrupting the meeting by moving around the room with filming equipment. He maintained that the journalists chose to leave voluntarily.

The same commission also ruled on Wednesday that conservative politician Jurgita Sejonienė had violated principles of respect, decorum, and exemplary conduct during a December meeting of the Culture Committee. Six commission members supported the finding, while four dissented.

Sejonienė had referred to committee members as “monkeys” while discussing proposed amendments to the LRT law that would ease the dismissal of the national broadcaster’s director.