Met investigate donation to Jenrick's Tory leadership campaign

Met investigate donation to Jenrick's Tory leadership campaignImage source, PA MediaImage caption, Robert JenrickByJack FenwickPolitical correspondentPublished1 minute agoPolice are investigating a donation given to Robert Jenrick's Conservative leadership campaign in 2024, BBC News understands.The Electoral Commission had reportedly been looking at claims £37,500 donated to Jenrick's campaign originated overseas. That information was passed from the commission to the Metropolitan Police in January this year.The force confirmed it had now launched a formal investigation "concerning donations connected to a political party's leadership campaign". Foreign donations to UK politicians are banned under electoral law.The Metropolitan Police has not said who might be caught up in the investigation's inquiries.Jenrick said the "allegations are entirely false"."I have had no contact with the Met Police whatsoever in connection with this matter," he added.Jenrick is now a Reform MP, having defected from the Conservatives to Nigel Farage's party earlier this year.He ran to replace Rishi Sunak as Conservative leader in summer 2024, when he came second to Kemi Badenoch.As first reported by the Guardian in April, the Electoral Commission began examining allegations related to £100,000 in donations from the company Spott Fitness, given to Jenrick's campaign.In September 2024 the British businessman Phillip Ullmann revealed that he was the man behind those donations.However the Electoral Commission has been examining claims that £37,5000 of that money actually came from the US company Innovyz.Innovyz was founded by Gary Klopfenstein, a US businessman who in 2024 pleaded guilty to committing wire fraud.A spokesman for Jenrick said: "The suggestion that Robert knowingly accepted impermissible donations is an untrue, politically motivated smear, put about years later by the Conservatives, despite the fact that Mr Ul...