Nigel Farage reported to police over ‘election fraud’ | Politics | News
Nigel Farage has been referred to the police by a former member of his campaign team over allegations he falsified election expenses. The Reform UK leader has been accused of fraudulently reporting local campaign spending in his Clacton-on-Sea constituency as national party spending. Former Reform councilor and member of Mr Farage’s local campaign team, Richard Everett, has submitted documents to the Metropolitan Police showing illegal reallocation of funds amounting to nearly £9,000. Telegram reports.
Documents reportedly show Reform spent less than £20,660, the legal limit for a candidate’s general election campaign, last year, but excluded the cost of leaflets, banners, energy bills and expensive bar renovations at its Clacton campaign office. Mr Everett, a former election agent, claimed the party had actually exceeded the limit by around £9,000, potentially making Mr Farage and his elected Peter Harris personally liable for breaching electoral law.
Mr Everett, who was among the Essex councilors dubbed the “Farage Four” after joining Reform last year, said he believed Mr Farage was “blissfully unaware” of excessive spending.
He said: “From experience, I have done many of these returns myself, so I know what they mean.
“In this particular case, there was a spending limit of £20,660.72. So that’s the amount you’re allowed to spend at the election. “In this return from Peter Harris it says we spent £20,299.80.
“I don’t think that’s an accurate figure. I actually think it’s over £20,660 and I think that’s because there were some items that were missing from the return or that were incorrect on the return.”
He also claimed Mr Farage failed to declare an armored Land Rover used at a campaign rally in Clacton as a donation. According to reports, the vehicle was not registered as a donation and the rental fee did not appear in Reform’s return on expenses.
A Reform spokesman denied any laws had been broken and labeled Mr Everett a “disgruntled former councillor” who he claimed was expelled from the party in August over alleged sexually inappropriate behavior in his Clacton office, which he denies.
They said: “These false allegations come from a disgruntled former councillor. The party was disgusted by his inappropriate sexual behavior with women and he was expelled several months ago.
“The party denies violating electoral law. We look forward to clearing our name.”
