in june 2010, brown came under media attention for matters relating to his spending on his council credit card and other council expense claims, which included items of a personal nature like toys, groceries and insect repellent. his later explanations for these purchases were also examined at a council meeting, where brown repeatedly slapped his face and got emotional. an advisor later explained that brown's emotional behaviour was caused by his use of a maori tradition, which brown said was not true.