Nigel Farage’s Reform Party is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police over allegations two of his colleagues solicited illegal foreign donations for the party.
The move was made public Wednesday based on claims senior party figures breached legal donation requirements during a sting carried out by undercover reporters.
A Channel 4 broadcast first aired the allegations Reform had taken funding from a U.S. firm for polling and more might be in the offing from a supposed foreign donor.
The BBC reports undercover reporter recorded two senior Reform aides apparently suggesting a way to circumvent electoral law to secure foreign party donations, one of which would have totalled £500,000.
Electoral law states that to be a permissible donor to a UK political party you must be a UK registered voter, or a company registered in the UK.
A Reform UK spokesman cited by the BBC said the party “denies any wrongdoing and will fully cooperate with the investigation.”
“We won’t be commenting further while a live investigation is under way.”
In its statement, the Metropolitan Police said: “All allegations under investigation relate to potential offences under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.”
“Detectives continue to liaise closely with the Electoral Commission and Crown Prosecution Service as enquiries progress.”
The police spokesperson said detectives were seeking to obtain footage relating to the original Channel 4 broadcast.
The show containing the allegations aired before Reform UK’s annual conference in Birmingham where Farage maintained his party has “done nothing wrong” and “taken no illegal money.”
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