DUP denies improper spending claims during Brexit campaign
THE DUP’s City Hall leader has strenuously denied allegations he directed improper spending during the Brexit campaign with data firm Aggregate IQ .
Jeff Silvester, the boss of the Canadian data firm, alleged during a BBC Spotlight investigation on Tuesday night that Belfast councillor Lee Reynolds was his contact during the campaign in 2016.
Mr Reynolds, who is also the DUP’s head of policy — one of the party’s most senior positions — was seconded to the role of Director of Vote Leave in Northern Ireland in the run-up to the pivotal and divisive vote.
Under strict Electoral Commission guidelines, separate referendum campaign groups are not allowed to work together in order to get around the funding limits set for each group.
Yesterday, Mr Reynolds reiter- ated the stance he put forward to the makers of the Spotlight programme.
“I have nothing to add to what I said previously,” he said.
“I did not direct DUP activities with Aggregate IQ (AIQ) during the EU referendum while I worked for Vote Leave.”
AIQ is alleged to have been closely linked to Cambridge Analytica, a now defunct British data mining and voter targeting firm.
It is under investigation on both sides of the Atlantic for improper use of millions of social media users’ data to sway the Brexit campaign and the 2016 US presidential election.
Those involved in AIQ , Cambridge Analytica and both winning political campaigns in the UK and US deny any wrongdoing.
Jeff Silvester told Spotlight that all the work for the DUP and that for Vote Leave were separate, did not violate any election rules and did not break any laws in any country, including the im- proper use of data. The DUP told Spotlight that the party authorised and directed all spending. It said it had complied with electoral law at all times.
Meanwhile, Alliance leader Naomi Long MLA has called for the Electoral Commission to investigate any potential breaches of electoral law after the Spotlight probe allegations of illegal activity and coordination of campaigns.
She said: “If we don’t pursue such issues, we allow democracy to be subverted, which is contrary to the interests of everyone in society. That is particularly the case in the Brexit referendum, given the subsequent damage to the UK economy and ongoing risk posed to our prosperity and security due to potential changes at the Irish border.
“Alliance recently raised with the Electoral Commission comments from the DUP saying it wasn’t their problem to identify the original source of the donation. That is simply wrong. In law, party treasurers must ensure not only is the donor legitimate but the original source of the donation is also permissible.
“That due diligence is a legal requirement.
“The coordination of campaigns is also forbidden as it allows the rules on spending limits to be subverted.
“The information presented [by Spotlight] raises major issues which I believe pass the threshold to justify a detailed investigation by the Electoral Commission.”
The Spotlight investigation alleged that the man behind the DUP’s record £435,000 donation during the EU referendum has links to illegal activity and foreign money.
It was alleged a company owned by Richard Cook of the Constitutional Research Council shipped illegal tyre waste to India in 2009, presenting fake documents to authorities.
He denies involvement in illegal waste and other financial crime.