Police are investigating claims that DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson's leadership campaign team were threated by the UDA.
Sir Jeffrey made the allegation during a meeting of the DUP on Thursday night to ratify Edwin Poots' election as the party's new leader.
He claimed the loyalist paramilitary group had threatened some of his team while he was campaigning for the party leadership, the Irish Independent reported.
A PSNI spokeswoman said: "Police have received a complaint that a number of members of a political party had been threatened during a recent leadership campaign.
"The full circumstances of the incident are still being established and enquiries are continuing at this time."
The chair of the Loyalist Communities Council, an umbrella group which represents the UVF, Red Hand Commando and factions of the UDA, said he was unaware of any such claims.
David Campbell told Belfast Live: "I haven't heard this nor would I understand why it would happen."
Mr Poots narrowly won the DUP leadership contest against his Lagan Valley constituency colleague Sir Jeffrey earlier this month.
Speaking to reporters in Belfast on Friday, the new DUP leader said any allegations of threats to anyone should be reported to police.
The Stormont Agriculture Minister said no members of his team engaged in acts of intimidation, insisting they fought a fair and clean campaign.
"If that's the case then Jeffrey should report that to police. If anyone was intimidated, that should be reported to police," he said.
"I can assure you categorically that no member of my team engaged in any activities of intimidation or bullying.
"We fought a fair campaign, we fought a clean campaign, it was a close contest, I accepted the outcome and I would have accepted the outcome if I had lost it.
"I would encourage all others, if there was anything that was done untoward by any individual, then that should be reported to police, and it certainly didn't come from my team."
Party tensions flared on Thursday night as the DUP's executive met at a South Belfast hotel to endorse Mr Poots' election as leader.
Outgoing DUP leader Arlene Foster and senior figures including Sir Jeffrey, Gavin Robinson and Lord Nigel Dodds left the building before Mr Poots rose to give his speech.
And a DUP member of 20 years from Mrs Foster's Fermanagh and South Tyrone constituency resigned from the party over its treatment of her.
Asked if he felt snubbed by Sir Jeffrey and others who left the meeting before his speech, Mr Poots responded: "It's for Nigel and Jeffrey and others to answer for themselves.
"I have conducted myself correctly and appropriately and with honour throughout all of this process and I will continue to do that in my role as leader of this party."
