THE EU has launched an investigation into claims that wealthy Brexit donor Arron Banks splashed £450,000 on a luxury lifestyle for Nigel Farage following the referendum.
The European Parliament’s advisory committee will probe the Brexit Party leader for failing to declare the lavish expenses.
PA:Press Association
Mr Banks is reported to have rented a £4.4 million home in Chelsea, a £30,000 car and funded a £20,000 chauffeur for Mr Farage.
The insurance tycoon also spent hundreds of thousands of pounds promoting ‘Brand Farage’ in the US, according to Channel 4 News.
Under European parliament rules, MEPs must declare payments made to them, or other support given by third parties.
European Parliament President Antonio Tajani announced the investigation after the Lib Dems submitted a formal complaint for allegedly failing to declare the payments from Mr Banks.
Yesterday it emerged that Channel 4 News has been barred from all Brexit Party events following their investigation into the payments from Mr Banks.
Meanwhile Buzzfeed News revealed yesterday that Mr Farage privately sought money for the Brexit Party from a Putin cheerleader who has described himself as an “influencer”.
‘NO EVIDENCE OF ANY ELECTORAL OFFENCES’
Footage emerged of the Brexit Party leader addressing a tea party at the Ritz last month including John Mappin, a pro-Kremlin scientologist.
Mr Farage was heard asking the group, organised by the pro-Trump group Turning Point UK, for “any help, any support, whether it’s verbal, whether it’s getting your friends involved, whether it’s giving us money, whatever it is, we need all the help we can get”.
In a separate interview to the Press Association yesterday Mr Farage accused the Electoral Commission of being “absolutely full of Remainers” as the watchdog visited the Brexit Party’s headquarters amid a review into its donations system.
Mr Farage claimed the regulator was staffed by establishment figures and was not a neutral organisation – and said he believed his party was “more compliant” than any others standing in the European elections.
The Brexit Party was handed a boost yesterday after the Electoral Commission’s findings there is “no evidence of any electoral offences” after it visited the group’s headquarters today.
A party spokesman said: “The Electoral Commission, after an interim confirmation during the day that it had no evidence of any electoral offences, reconfirmed at the end of the inspection that it has not seen any evidence of electoral offences.
“We are pleased, but not surprised. We are keen to be as transparent as possible.
“To that end, in recent weeks, we have invited representatives from various media organisations to inspect our donation systems…
“We believe in continuous improvement and welcome constructive recommendations from the Electoral Commission to enhance our processes and procedures.”
Reuters
