EU FINES FARAGE £35,000
Salary docked for cash ‘rule break’
NIGEL Farage has been fined £35,000 by the European Union for allegedly mis-spending its money.
Half of his MEP’s salary is being docked each month over claims he broke rules on EU-funded office aides.
Former UKIP leader Mr Farage, an MEP since 1999, said last night that Brussels chiefs are acting out of spite because of his role in fighting for Brexit.
He said: “It is guilty until proven innocent. Since Brexit they are being vindictive.” Mr Farage added: “I absolutely reject what they say. But it is difficult to know what I can do about it.”
European Parliament investigators decided last year to suspend the contract of Mr Farage’s then-Brussels assistant Christopher Adams.
Mr Adams was also UKIP’s national nominating officer. Under EU rules, fulltime assistants to MEPs are not allowed to do paid work for national parties.
Part-time aides must have any second jobs vetted by the European Parliament watchdog to prevent conflicts of interest.
It is alleged Mr Farage has not proved his colleague was doing work directly related to the elected role of an MEP.
Investigators decided Mr Farage broke the rules, not Mr Adams.
A European Parliament source said the EU began this month to recoup £35,000 in salary paid to Mr Adams.
Docking Mr Farage’s £90,000 pre-tax EU earnings means he would repay the cash by October.
Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Front in France, is being probed by French magistrates after she refused to repay £260,000 of EU funds.