Reform probe clears Farage aides caught in donations sting
The Metropolitan Police is still investigating information broadcast by Channel 4.
Nigel Farage's Reform UK has released an internal investigation claiming to exonerate two high-ranking aides caught up in an undercover donations sting. Reform UK now intends to sue the TV company that reported the alleged discussions about receiving a £500,000 donation from a fictitious U.S. donor. The review concluded there was "no evidence" that either Dan Jukes, Farage's longtime aide, or James Orr, its policy chief, committed any legal transgressions.
Both men resigned last month following the Channel 4 broadcast of the report. An unnamed party official revealed that the decision to dismiss the pair will be finalized after a Metropolitan Police investigation, which is examining multiple potential offenses connected to the aired footage and conversations about soliciting donations from a bogus entity and commissioning polls.
Reform UK spokesperson stated that the production company, Verbatim, acted unlawfully and will pursue legal action accordingly. While the internal probe cleared Orr and Jukes of breaking the law, it acknowledged the "foolish" nature of their conversation with the undercover reporter. Jukes expressed his intent to explore legal recourse regarding false and damaging statements made about him.
The internal investigation was released just before Kemi Badenoch, who leads the rival right-wing Conservative party, delivered her conference speech in Birmingham, where she referenced the police probe into Reform UK and dismissed calls for her to join forces with Farage. Badenoch rejected the idea of an alliance, stating, "To those who say 'unite the right,' we are not uniting with that."
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