Nigel Farage has been referred to the police by a former member of his marketing campaign crew over claims that he falsified election bills.. The Reform UK chief has been accused of fraudulently reporting native marketing campaign bills in his constituency of Clacton-on-Sea as nationwide celebration spending. Richard Everett, former Reform councillor and member of Mr Farage’s native marketing campaign crew, has submitted paperwork to the Metropolitan Police that point out illegally reallocated funds of round £9,000, the Telegraph stories.
The paperwork reportedly present that Reform spent below the authorized restrict of £20,660 for a candidate’s normal election marketing campaign final 12 months, however excluded prices for leaflets, banners, vitality payments and a pricey bar refurbishment within the Clacton marketing campaign workplace. Mr Everett, a former election agent, alleged that the celebration had actually exceeded the restrict by round £9,000, probably making Mr Farage and his election Peter Harris personally accountable for a breach of electoral regulation.
Mr Everett, who was among the many Essex councillors dubbed the “Farage Four” after they defected to Reform final 12 months, mentioned he believes Mr Farage himself was “blissfully unaware” of the overspend.
He mentioned: “Because of my experience, I’ve done many of these returns myself, so I know what is meant to be on them.
“In this specific case, there was a spending restrict of £20,660.72. So that is the quantity you are allowed to spend on the election. In this return that Peter Harris has produced, he says that we spent £20,299.80.
“I do not think that that is an accurate figure. In fact, I think the £20,660 was exceeded, and the reason why I think that is because of a number of items that were either missing on the return or wrong on the return.”
He additionally alleged that Mr Farage had did not declare an armoured Land Rover utilized in a marketing campaign rally in Clacton as a donation. The car was not registered as a donation and its rent value additionally didn’t seem on Reform’s spending return, stories counsel.
A Reform spokesperson denied that any legal guidelines had been damaged and labelled Mr Everett a “disgruntled former councillor” who they claimed had been ousted from the celebration in August for alleged sexually inappropriately behaviour within the Clacton workplace, one thing he denies.
They mentioned: “These inaccurate claims come from a disgruntled former councillor. The party was disgusted by his inappropriate sexual behaviour with women, and he was expelled several months ago.
“The celebration denies breaking electoral regulation. We look ahead to clearing our title.”
https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/2143475/nigel-farage-reported-police-election-fraud-reform