Donald Trump has appeared to back Nigel Farage as the Reform UK leader faces investigation over financial support given to him by a convicted criminal.
The Clacton MP claimed he was the victim of an “establishment hit job” after allegations published by The Sunday Times that George Cottrell had provided funding for security and staffing in the year before he was elected.
Mr Farage is facing another Parliamentary probe over the donations, which could lead to his suspension from the House of Commons and, in the most extreme circumstances, a by-election in his Essex constituency.
On his Truth Social platform the US President has shared a link to an article from the National Pulse website titled “They’re Running the 2024 Anti-Trump Playbook on Nigel Farage”.
Under rules in place at the time of Mr Farage’s election in 2024, new MPs were required to register any gifts worth more than £300 they received in the previous 12 months, except where the gift “could not be reasonably thought by others” to relate to their political activities.
Cottrell reportedly recruited and paid three staff to work on the MP’s social media before the general election, and has continued to allow him to use a five-storey Georgian property he rented near Buckingham Palace.
Cottrell was jailed for eight months in the US in 2017 after admitting wire fraud. He had attempted to defraud criminals on the dark web by masquerading as a money launderer.
He was arrested as he and Mr Farage travelled back to Britain following a trip to the US.
Cottrell reportedly remains a close adviser to Mr Farage after first becoming involved in Ukip as a volunteer in the run-up to the 2016 Brexit referendum.
Labour and the Liberal Democrats have called for Parliament’s standards commissioner, who is already investigating a £5 million gift the MP received from a crypto-billionaire, to examine the support.
Daniel Greenberg is probing whether Mr Farage should have registered the huge undisclosed gift from Thailand-based Christopher Harborne.
Anna Turley, the Labour Party chairwoman, urged the Reform UK leader to “level with the public” and answer questions about the funding from Mr Cottrell, who is his long-term associate.
Mr Farage reacted angrily when approached at an airport by Sky News asking whether it had been a mistake not to declare gifts.
“You tell your bosses, you harass my family any more… serious consequences. That’s what your organisation has done this morning. Go away,” he said.
Sky said it had not contacted anyone from Mr Farage’s family about the story.
Two Reform MPs, deputy leader Richard Tice and Danny Kruger, could both face questions about the row as they attend public-facing events on Tuesday.
Mr Tice is scheduled to appear at an “in conversation” event with the Institute for Government while Mr Kruger is due to be interviewed at an event hosted by Politico.
The Reform leader on Sunday issued a statement saying he had not broken any rules.
He said: “I have done no wrongdoing, followed the rules and I am now considering legal action against The Sunday Times.
“It’s now clear the establishment will stop at nothing to hurt Reform – we want to smash their cosy consensus.”
Reform UK’s Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick has said Mr Cottrell is an “old friend” of Mr Farage and has “no formal role within Reform”.
