The Bear gets cynical

It would appear that there have been some inventive expenses claims by our illustrious MPs. This is big news, apparently.
Our elected representatives are now queuing up to pay back sums that they have had for such sundry items as flat screen TVs, scatter cushions, interior doors and Hobnobs.
Am I the only one who is not surprised by this? Where there are loop holes, people (and politicians) will crawl through them.
So, the money gets given back and it will all be alright? If I robbed a bank and got caught, would I be let off if I handed over the proceeds? Or is this just a case of an extension of bringing pencils home from the office?

Either way, I am not hugely interested. In my opinion, this is not news. Are we missing some serious issue whilst we are being distracted by all this trivia? Is this a good way to hide some really bad news?