REFORM MP Robert Jenrick has claimed that a police investigation into donations to his failed bid to lead the Tory Party is the result of a “smear” from his former colleagues.
Jenrick, who defected from the Conservatives to join Nigel Farage’s in January, is being investigated after the Electoral Commission called in the Metropolitan Police over allegations almost £40,000 of donations to his 2024 campaign were from a foreign source, in breach of electoral rules.
The Guardian first reported the story in April, with a spokesperson for the Met Police saying at the time: “On Tuesday, 6 January we received a referral from the Electoral Commission concerning donations connected to a leadership campaign. This referral is under review and until it has been completed, we’re not in a position to comment further.”
Jenrick defected to Reform UK on January 15, nine days after that referral was made.
However, speaking to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday, he claimed that the case “is just a smear that's been put out by the Conservative Party”.
Challenged on why the Electoral Commission would have called in the police if it was only a party political smear, Jenrick added: “Let's just be clear, there's no suggestion that I personally did anything wrong.
“You accept donations, in this case it was a donor that the Conservative Party referred to me, they checked them out, and I’m absolutely certain there’s been no wrongdoing here.”
A spokesperson for the Electoral Commission previously said of the case: “We have been investigating donations connected to a 2024 leadership campaign.
“Evidence of potential offences outside our remit was referred to the Metropolitan police service on 6 January 2026. Our investigation is paused pending their assessment.
“We don’t discuss the details of our investigations and cannot comment further at this stage.”
The Guardian reported that the allegations centre on donations to Jenrick by the UK-based company The Spott Fitness. £37,500 of a total £100,000 in donations may have ultimately come from US businessman Gary Klopfenstein, despite foreign companies and individuals not being allowed to donate to UK politicians or parties.
