UK Treasury chief Sunak defends wife in tax controversy

By DANICA KIRKA
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Treasury chief has defended his wife’s decision to take advantage of rules that allow many foreigners to escape U.K. taxes on their overseas income, saying critics have launched a smear campaign against her to get at him. In an interview with the Sun newspaper, Rishi Sunak says he expects scrutiny as a politician but it is unfair to attack his wife, Akshata Murty, who is a private citizen with her own career and independent investments. Murty, a fashion designer and businesswoman, is also the daughter of the Indian billionaire who founded the information technology company Infosys.