Ex-leader says data firm unfairly blamed for Trump

LONDON — The former head of Cambridge Analytica said Wednesday that his political consulting firm got “an incredibly huge target” on its back because of its involvement in Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Alexander Nix said his now-defunct firm was unfairly blamed for putting Trump in office.

The remarks came as an unrepentant Nix clashed with British lawmakers investigating the use of Facebook data in election campaigns. The Parliament’s media committee sought his testimony to clarify his previous remarks.

Nix repeatedly suggested that lines of questioning were politically motivated, such as when Ian Lucas, a Labour lawmaker, challenged Nix’s claim that the firm had nothing to do with the campaign supporting Britain’s departure from the European Union.

“I’m sorry if members of this committee are unhappy with the outcome of the referendum. I’m sorry if members of the committee are unhappy with Donald Trump being president of the United States,” Nix replied.

“But you can’t simply put forward your prejudices onto me and make sweeping assumptions about our involvement with a political campaign

simply because that is what you want to believe, because that narrative suits your view of the facts.”

Lucas retorted: “Facts are what we are presenting to you. What we are getting back from you is bluster and rudeness.”

Trump was one of Cambridge Analytica’s customers, though the firm has insisted that none of the Facebook data was used in his 2016 campaign.