Farage: FBI’S Russian collusion inquiry is ‘hysterical nonsense’
NIGEL FARAGE has said claims he might be caught up in the FBI’S investigation into Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and its suspected collusion with Russia as “completely baloney” and “hysterical nonsense”.
The former Ukip leader said he had “no connections to Russia” following reports he is a “person of interest” to FBI investigators examining possible collusion between the Kremlin and the Trump campaign.
“Persons of interest” are those thought to have information that may help the FBI with their inquiries.
The Guardian cited sources with knowledge of the US counter-intelligence investigation as saying Mr Farage had come to the attention of FBI investigators because of his links with individuals in Mr Trump’s presidential campaign and Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. It added that Mr Farage has not been accused of wrongdoing and is not a suspect or target of the investigation. The newspaper quoted a source as saying: “One of the things the intelligence investigators have been looking at is points of contact and persons involved. If you triangulate Russia, Wikileaks, Assange and Trump associates, the person who comes up with the most hits is Nigel Farage.
“He’s right in the middle of these relationships. He turns up over and over again. There’s a lot of attention being paid to him.” He told The Daily Telegraph he was “laughing” about the allegations and said The Guardian ran the story because “they cannot accept Brexit, they cannot accept Trump”.
He added: “I have never been to Russia, I have never had any business dealings in Russia. Much of the world I have – but I never did Russian business even when I was in commodities.
“I have no Russian links or connections of any kind at all. And the idea that I can be a ‘person of interest’ is frankly laughable.” Mr Farage recently met with Mr Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, but insisted he did so for “purely journalistic reasons.”
Mr Farage said: “I did go and meet Julian Assange – and yes I am a long term opponent of the European Arrest Warrant. But I met Julian Assange at a meeting that was organised by a broadcaster.”
He added that the FBI had not been in touch “and nor will they be”.
An FBI spokesman said: “We have no comment.”