Nigel Farage has made the 'absurd' claim that Russian spies hacked his phone to obtain details of his controversial £5 million gift, as he faces a standards probe over the donation.
Background of the Controversy
The Reform UK leader is being investigated by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner over whether he broke Commons rules by not declaring a £5 million gift from Christopher Harborne, a Thailand-based crypto billionaire. Mr Farage insists he had no obligation to declare the gift, which he described as a 'reward for campaigning for Brexit'.
Allegations of Hacking
Sources say Mr Farage became 'intensely suspicious' that he had been compromised by 'foreign state actors' after last month's revelation about the donation. A party source stated: 'Only four people in the world knew about the donation, and so Nigel decided to submit his mobile phone for forensic analysis by counter-espionage experts. They concluded that hostile state actors, almost certainly linked to Moscow, had used spear phishing tactics to compromise his phone, email and bank accounts.'
Mr Farage told The Mail on Sunday: 'These actions by Russia are deeply concerning and highlight the threat they pose to British security.' He has also voiced anger that details of the gift were made public, calling this a 'disgrace' and insisting the money pays for his personal security needs.
Reform UK's Defense
Reform UK has claimed the cash was 'a personal, unconditional gift' with no rules broken. However, parliamentary rules require new MPs to declare relevant gifts and donations in the 12 months before their election. Mr Farage faces questions over why he did not declare the £5 million he received from Mr Harborne.
Media Response
The story first appeared in The Guardian. There is no suggestion the newspaper was complicit in or aware of any illegal activity, but Mr Farage added: 'This shocking revelation brings into question The Guardian's judgment and whether Reform can cooperate with them in future.' A source at The Guardian contested his allegations, saying: 'This is an absurd claim and an attempt to deflect attention from legitimate scrutiny of his financial affairs. Nigel Farage is once again hiding behind a baseless attack on the media rather than facing up to scrutiny from journalists and politicians.'
Additional Context
Mr Farage insists there is no connection between the £5 million gift and the £1.4 million house he bought soon afterward. The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner's probe continues.
