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Farage under mounting pressure to prove Russian hack claim
TL;DR
Nigel Farage is facing pressure to substantiate his claim that a Russian hack was behind the disclosure of a £5m gift from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne. Reform UK suggested that Farage's phone and accounts were compromised by actors linked to Moscow.
Key points
- Nigel Farage claims a Russian hack revealed his £5m gift.
- Reform UK suggests Farage's phone was compromised by hostile actors.
- Farage did not declare the £5m gift as required by parliamentary rules.
- The Guardian criticized Farage's claims as a deflection from scrutiny.
Mentioned in this story
Nigel FarageChristopher HarborneReform UKGuardian
Nigel Farage is under mounting pressure to provide evidence for his claim that a state-sponsored Russian hack was behind the disclosure of the £5m gift he received from the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne.
Reform UK claimed over the weekend that analysis of Farage’s phone by “counter-espionage experts” suggested that “Farage’s phone, email and bank accounts were compromised by hostile actors, almost certainly linked to Moscow, using spear phishing tactics”, before the Guardian revealed details of his undeclared gift last month.
Farage told the Mail on Sunday that the alleged Russian activity was “deeply concerning” and highlighted the “threat they pose to British security”.
Farage’s claims followed intensifying scrutiny of the £5m gift he received from Harborne. Farage had not publicly declared the gift, despite parliamentary transparency rules requiring MPs to register gifts and donations above a certain threshold.
A spokesperson for the Guardian described Farage’s claim as “an attempt to deflect attention from legitimate scrutiny of his financial affairs”. They added: “Nigel Farage is once again hiding behind a baseless attack on the media rather than facing up to scrutiny from journalists and politicians.”
The spokesperson said it was absurd for Farage to suggest it had found out about the gift from a Russian hack.
After Farage made the allegation on Sunday, Labour and the Conservatives called on him to hand any evidence he has to Britain’s security services.
Farage’s spokesperson did not respond to questions from the Guardian over who he had reported the alleged hack to, whether any evidence was handed to British authorities or how the examination of his handset had suggested that Russia was responsible.
It is understood the National Cyber Security Centre is not aware of a report from Farage related to the alleged hack.
The Guardian has contacted Reform UK for comment.
Kevin Hollinrake, chairman of the Conservative party and MP for Thirsk and Malton, told the Guardian: “This is what you get when you sup with ‘The Devil’. Nigel Farage spent years making excuses for [Vladimir] Putin, now, conveniently, he is suddenly playing the Russia card, just as serious questions are being asked about his failure to declare a £5m donation from a crypto billionaire based in Thailand.
“We should not forget that this is the same party that has faced persistent questions about its stance on Russia, including its former leader in Wales who was jailed for taking bribes from the Kremlin.
“If he has genuine evidence that Russia attempted to hack him, he should immediately hand it to the relevant authorities and be fully transparent with the British public about exactly what he knows. The British people are entitled to answers, not distraction tactics.”
Q&A
What evidence has Nigel Farage provided for his Russian hack claim?
Nigel Farage has yet to provide concrete evidence to support his claim that a Russian hack was responsible for the disclosure of his £5m gift.
Who is Christopher Harborne and what is his connection to Nigel Farage?
Christopher Harborne is a crypto billionaire who gifted Nigel Farage £5m, which Farage did not publicly declare as required by parliamentary rules.
What did Reform UK claim about Farage's phone security?
Reform UK claimed that counter-espionage experts found evidence suggesting that Farage's phone and accounts were compromised by hostile actors linked to Russia.
How has the media responded to Farage's claims of a Russian hack?
The media, particularly the Guardian, has criticized Farage's claims as an attempt to deflect scrutiny from his financial affairs, labeling them as baseless.
