Nigel Farage maintains innocence as Reform UK aides step down following foreign funding controversy

Nigel Farage has claimed he was not paying close attention during a meeting where his party was accused of attempting to evade electoral laws regarding foreign donations. The controversy arose from an undercover investigation by Verbatim, where a journalist posed as the son of a wealthy American businessman. The report suggested that Reform UK used impermissible foreign funding to commission political polls that were later published in national newspapers. Following the report, the administration of the party took action by suspending or stepping down two senior aides: Dan Jukes and James Orr. Both men denied any wrongdoing, though Jukes described the situation as a case of entrapment. Farage insisted that he knew the law and that the money was being provided via a London-based family office. The Metropolitan Police are currently assessing evidence after complaints from the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats. The Electoral Commission confirmed it is in contact with the police to determine if any laws were broken. Despite the pressure, Farage maintained that the party has not taken any

Sources

• The Guardian
  ‘I wasn’t even listening,’ Farage says of donations scandal meeting
• CBS News
  Senior aides to U.K.'s Nigel Farage step down in donation scandal where reporter posed as wealthy American's son
• BBC
  Reform UK winded by donations row as insiders call for shift in approach

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Paywall and unreadable sources

• The New York Times
  An Exposé Jolts Reform U.K. and Sidelines the Man Called Farage’s Brain
• WSJ
  U.K.’s Reform Party Hit With Fresh Funding Allegations