OTTAWA A large number of New Democrat MPs are being ordered to help pay back the $2.75 million they took from their office budgets to pay for staffers working in party satellite offices in Montreal and Quebec City.

The board of internal economy ruled last August that it was inappropriate for MPs to use their parliamentary budgets to cover the work done by staff in the satellite offices.

On Tuesday night, Commons Speaker Andrew Scheer revealed that the secretive board had decided to send invoices to 68 MPs — including House officers and one former MP. They had pooled their office budgets to pay the salaries of staffers working in satellite offices set up to support the influx of NDP MPs from Quebec after their surprising success in the 2011 election.

"Since individual members' office budgets were used to supplement the NDP research office budget, the board will be directing that each participating member personally reimburse the salary costs under question," Scheer, who is chair of the board, said in the statement.

The bill for a total of $2,749,362 covers all salary costs incurred at the satellite offices between May 2, 2011 — the date of the last federal election — and Dec. 31, 2014.

News of the ruling first came via NDP MP Nycole Turmel, who the NDP insisted was acting as a spokeswoman for the board even as she denounced the decision.

"None of the MPs has been heard by the board of internal economy. Nor have any of the employees responsible for this parliamentary work been heard. It is also important to note that multiple errors have been identified in the amounts cited," Turmel said in the statement.

Turmel also said the "goal" of the ruling was to "create leverage against the MPs cited by the board of internal economy — whether they be New Democrats, Forces et Démocratie, Bloc Québécois or independent."

Neither the statement from Scheer nor Turmel mentioned how many NDP MPs are among the 68 ordered to repay the money.

NDP House Leader Peter Julian defended their actions in a statement.

"NDP Parliamentary staff have always performed parliamentary duties. No evidence to the contrary has ever been provided by our Liberal and Conservative opponents, who are acting as judge, jury and executioner against all principles of natural justice," Julian said in the statement emailed by NDP caucus press secretary Greta Levy Tuesday night.

In September, some NDP MPs asked the Federal Court for a judicial review of the board's ruling that the expenses were inappropriate.

In November, lawyers for the board and the NDP asked the court to pause the proceedings while they discussed the possibility of a settlement.

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"We are confident that these rights and freedoms will be upheld over the decision of a kangaroo court," Julian said in the statement.

Turmel said in her statement the "consensus" of the board is that lawyers for both sides continue working towards a settlement.