Reform admits donation from financier facing groping claims

Reform UK has been forced to admit that it accepted a £10,000 donation from a former Tory donor who is facing sexual misconduct claims.

Crispin Odey gave the money to the Right-wing party last August, two months after allegations emerged that he had harassed a string of women.

The hedge fund manager has given £265,000 to the Conservatives, including £10,000 to Boris Johnson’s Tory leadership campaign in June 2019.

Reform initially logged his donation as coming from the Independent Investment Management Initiative (IIMI), but it later insisted it did not give the money.

The party was forced to update the record and declare Mr Odey as the source of the funds after the website Desmog contacted the Electoral Commission. The donation was added to the election watchdog’s website yesterday.

Mr Odey, a multimillionaire financier, donated to the Tories under the leaderships of David Cameron, Theresa May and Mr Johnson between 2008 and 2019. He was also a big backer of Brexit and helped bankroll the Vote Leave campaign, which was spearheaded by senior Conservatives, to the tune of £873,000.

Sexual misconduct claims first emerged against him in June, two months before Reform accepted his donation, with more women coming forward in July.

Over a period of 25 years, he was accused of forcibly kissing women, inappropriately touching their breasts and making crude, sexist remarks to female employees. In total 13 women came forward, with lawyers for Mr Odey “strenuously” denying the allegations against him. After the claims emerged he left the business he founded, Odey Asset Management, and in September the firm said it would close.

The Financial Conduct Authority closed an investigation into the company in December but is still looking at whether Mr Odey is a “fit and proper” person to work in financial services.

Reform UK declined to comment. Mr Odey was contacted for comment.