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Police are currently conducting an investigation into a donation made to Robert Jenrick’s Conservative leadership campaign in 2024, according to BBC News. The Electoral Commission had initially reviewed claims that £37,500 contributed to Jenrick’s campaign had foreign origins. This matter was subsequently referred to the Metropolitan Police earlier this year, in January.
The Metropolitan Police have since confirmed the launch of a formal inquiry involving donations linked to a political party’s leadership campaign, emphasizing that foreign donations to UK politicians are prohibited under electoral law. However, no details have been disclosed about potential individuals involved in the ongoing investigation. Jenrick has denied the allegations, stating that they are “entirely false” and added, “I have had no contact with the Met Police whatsoever in connection with this matter.”
Jenrick, who defected from the Conservatives to Nigel Farage’s Reform Party earlier this year, had contested to replace Rishi Sunak as Conservative leader during the summer of 2024, finishing second to Kemi Badenoch. Reports initially from the Guardian in April indicated that the Electoral Commission had been scrutinizing claims related to £100,000 in donations made by the company Spott Fitness to Jenrick’s campaign. In September 2024, businessman Phillip Ullmann publicly identified himself as the source behind these donations.
Further examination by the Electoral Commission has raised concerns that £37,500 of this money might have actually originated from Innovyz, a US-based company founded by Gary Klopfenstein, who in 2024 admitted guilt to wire fraud offenses. Jenrick’s spokesperson firmly rejected the suggestion that he knowingly accepted unlawful donations, describing the accusations as “an untrue, politically motivated smear” circulated years later by the Conservatives. The statement also highlighted that Ullmann was introduced to Jenrick by a Tory MP, with checks on the donation’s permissibility carried out by the party. Jenrick and his team maintain that they complied fully with electoral laws when accepting the money from Spott Fitness Ltd, and that Jenrick has never had any contact with Klopfenstein or knowledge of any connection to Ullmann’s donation until the Electoral Commission’s inquiry. He reportedly provided comprehensive records to the commission, which he claims disproved these allegations in 2025.
The Conservative Party confirmed that all candidates involved in the 2024 leadership contest were reminded of the legal requirements pertaining to permissible donations. Meanwhile, Ullmann’s representatives declined to provide any comments. The Metropolitan Police reiterated that their investigation, initiated following the January referral from the Electoral Commission, is ongoing
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