Nicola Sturgeon's husband has officially confirmed sending bombshell text messages which called on the police to be pressurised in the Alex Salmond case.
In a statement to Holyood’s Salmond Inquiry, Peter Murrell admitted he did not express himself “well” in the texts, adding that he should have done so “more appropriately”.
The admission by Murrell, who is the SNP's chief executive, was first reported in Tuesday’s Daily Record and will now be considered by MSPs.
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross has urged Sturgeon to fire her husband.
A Holyrood committee is currently investigating the SNP Government’s botched handling of sexual misconduct allegations against Salmond when he was first minister.
The probe is said to have destroyed the friendship between Salmond and Sturgeon.
Separately, Salmond was acquitted earlier this year of sexual offences charges after a High Court trial.
SNP MP Kenny MacAskill said last month he received an anonymous document about the criminal side of the Salmond case.
It showed messages sent by Murrell in January 2019 on the day after Salmond was charged with sexual offences.
It was also the month in which a separate complaint was made about Salmond to the Metropolitan Police, an investigation the London force later dropped.
The first message stated: “Totally agree folk should be asking the police questions... report now with the PF on charges which leaves police twiddling their thumbs. So good time to be pressurising them. Would be good to know Met looking at events in London.”
The second message stated: “TBH the more fronts he is having to firefight on the better for all complainers. so CPS action would be a good thing.”
However, the SNP refused to confirm whether Murrell sent the texts.
In a letter to the Holyrood committee, Murrell has confirmed they are genuine: "I am aware that the committee has received copies of messages described as ‘What’s App’ messages in the media. I can confirm that these are not WhatsApp messages but are text messages between myself and another individual."
He added that the committee should be aware of three points for context.
Murrell wrote there is an “ongoing police investigation” into how the information was obtained, adding that the content of the messages does not relate to the remit of the Committee inquiry.
He also wrote that the messages have been "presented in a way that suggests a meaning that they do not in reality have."
However, he continued: “The messages were sent the day after Mr Salmond had been charged with a number of serious offences.
"In the aftermath of this, the SNP was contacted by individuals who had specific, personal questions in relation to that criminal case.
"My intention was to advise that their questions should be addressed to the Police and not the SNP. I acknowledge that I did not express myself well but I suggest that in the context of such a criminal case, directing people to the Police was the only responsible thing to advise."
On the second message, he said: "This has been presented as following on immediately from the first. That is inaccurate. However, my intended meaning was that any and all complaints should be appropriately investigated.
"The tone of it is a reflection of the shock, hurt and upset that I, and so many others in the SNP, felt that day given the events that had unfolded in court the previous day. As most people will appreciate, the immediacy of text messages lend themselves to informal, shorthand forms of expression but, even so, I would wish on reflection to have expressed myself more appropriately."
