have stepped down after the party was accused of breaking British electoral law concerning foreign funding in the wake of an investigative news report where a journalist posed as a wealthy American's son who wanted to donate to the party.
asserted
who → step → party
In a statement, a spokesperson for the party said it was launching an internal probe after the report aired on Britain's Channel 4 news late Thursday.
asserted
report → say → news
Two Reform party officials, James Orr and Dan Jukes, have left their positions pending the outcome of that investigation, the spokesperson said.
asserted
spokesperson → leave → investigation
"The party believes it is important that the investigation is allowed to proceed independently and without prejudice.
asserted
investigation → believe → prejudice
No further comment will be made while the investigation is ongoing," the spokesperson said.
asserted
spokesperson → make → ?
Jukes is widely regarded as Farage's right-hand man, with an "innate sense of his boss' instinct," according to CBS News' partner network BBC News.
uncertain
Jukes → regard → network
Orr, an influential figure in the British national conservative movement, served as Reform's head of policy until his resignation.
asserted
Orr → serve → resignation
Both men denied any wrongdoing.
asserted
men → deny → wrongdoing
In an interview with a London radio station early Friday, Farage insisted the party had broken no laws.
asserted
party → insist → laws
"The party has not taken any dodgy money or anything like that whatsoever," Farage told LBC Radio.
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Farage → take → Radio
"However, it is a clear case of entrapment, and they worked at it for a very long time, and they got a couple of our contractors to say things that perhaps should not have been said.
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that → work → things
And as a result of that, they have been removed this morning and yeah, you know, I'm not happy about it."
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I → remove → it
Channel 4 stood by the report, with a spokesperson telling BBC News the investigation "has been rigorously verified to ensure accuracy.
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investigation → stand → accuracy
We would encourage people to watch the investigation in full."
asserted
We → encourage → investigation
The allegations pile further pressure on Farage just as his party's annual conference was getting underway.
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conference → pile → Farage
It also unfolds against the backdrop of scrutiny over donations linked to the party, including an ongoing parliamentary investigation over a multimillion-pound donation from cryptobillionaire Christopher Harborne in 2024.
asserted
It → unfold → 2024
Farage denies any wrongdoing.
asserted
Farage → deny → wrongdoing
Speaking to CBS News at the party's conference, Zia Yusuf, a spokesperson for domestic affairs, downplayed any immediate blowback the allegations would have on the party's internal operations.
asserted
allegations → speak → operations
"Look, Reform has had many great people who have helped get us to where we are.
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we → look → us
And I have no doubt, given the talent pipeline that I do have visibility of, both at parliamentary level, potentially, and beyond it, we will withstand this, and ultimately, ultimately will come out strong on the other side," Yusuf said.
asserted
Yusuf → have → side
On Thursday night, Channel 4 aired the investigation that it said was carried out by an undercover team of journalists from a group called Verbatim, which was founded by journalists from the Centre for Climate Reporting.
asserted
which → air → Reporting
The investigation follows one journalist who poses as the British-educated son of a wealthy American businessman from Wyoming, who both appeared eager to support the party, which shares aspects of ideology and policy positions with elements of the MAGA movement, as well as other right-leaning populist movements around the world.
asserted
which → follow → world
British law regards a permissible donor to a U.K. political party as either a U.K.-registered voter or a company.
asserted
law → regard → voter
In the scenario that unfolds in the undercover investigation, the son is a permissible donor, and the father is not.
asserted
father → unfold → investigation
Secretly filmed footage purports to show the two party aides arranging donations from the undercover journalist to fund the commissioning of a number of political polls.
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aides → film → polls
According to Channel 4, the donations added up to 32,500 British pounds, which is about $44,000.
uncertain
which → accord → pounds
Some of those polls later appeared in news articles for British newspapers such as The Telegraph and the Times of London.
asserted
Some → appear → London
The articles, which reflect favorably on the party on issues such as its fortunes in local elections and support among labor union members, do not mention how Reform allegedly commissioned the polls.
uncertain
Reform → reflect → polls
Jukes is heard telling the undercover journalist that the donation made a "huge impact" for the party while not "showing up anywhere in public records.
asserted
donation → hear → records
Orr denied Reform's involvement in the polling, saying in a video posted to social media an "independent person had paid an independent pollster."
asserted
person → deny → pollster
"No money reached Reform UK at all, no donation reached Reform UK at all — whether it was in cash or in kind," he said.
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he → reach → kind
The investigation also includes a discussion between Jukes and the journalist on how to circumvent electoral law to secure a separate foreign donation to the party of 500,000 British pounds, or about $675,000.
asserted
investigation → include → pounds
Channel 4 says that donation was never made.
asserted
donation → say → ?
The investigation culminates in a four-way lunch between the journalist posing as the son of the American businessman, an actor playing the businessman, Jukes and Farage.
asserted
investigation → culminate → businessman
During that meeting, Farage appears to have knowledge that the funding for the polls came from the businessman, and does not appear to be concerned when the son proposes the method by which the 500,000-pound foreign donation could reach the party, saying, "Thank you.
uncertain
donation → appear → you
Jukes released a statement to BBC News calling the report "entrapment over a prolonged period of nearly a year by foreign-funded climate change activists.
asserted
Jukes → release → activists
"
"I totally deny any wrongdoing but have stepped back from politics in order to clear my name," Jukes said.
asserted
Jukes → deny → name
In a statement to Sky News, Orr said, "I have agreed to step down from my current role at Reform UK pending the outcome of the party's internal investigation into the conduct of the program, with which I will cooperate fully."
asserted
I → say → which
At least two of Reform's opponents, the ruling Labour Party and the centrist Liberal Democrats, have written to the Metropolitan Police, alleging breaches of electoral law.
asserted
two → rule → law
In a statement to CBS News, the police said it was aware of reporting "involving political party donations" and alleged breaches of British law relating to polling.
asserted
it → say → polling
…and 3 more, not listed.
