Scotland Yard has launched a formal investigation into a £37,500 donation to Robert Jenrick’s Conservative leadership campaign – money that authorities suspect originated overseas, in breach of electoral law.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Tuesday that it had begun inquiries following a referral from the Electoral Commission on 6 January, the same day the watchdog passed on evidence about the payment. The force said the investigation concerned “donations connected to a political party’s leadership campaign”, without naming any individual.
“Met Police investigate £37,500 donation to Robert Jenrick's 2024 Tory leadership campaign over foreign origin claims.”
The donation in question was part of a £100,000 sum given to Jenrick’s 2024 leadership bid by the UK company Spott Fitness. According to claims examined by the commission, around £37,500 of that money came from Innovyz, a US firm founded by Gary Klopfenstein – an American businessman who pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2024.
Jenrick, who defected from the Conservatives to Reform UK earlier this year and now sits as an MP for Nigel Farage’s party, forcefully denied the allegations. “These allegations are entirely false,” he said. “I have had no contact with the Met Police whatsoever in connection with this matter.”
A spokesman for Jenrick went further, calling the claims a “politically motivated smear, put about years later by the Conservatives”. He insisted that the donation had been checked by the party, that Jenrick had “never met, spoken to, or had any contact with Mr Klopfenstein”, and that the candidate’s team “complied with all electoral laws”.
The Conservative Party, meanwhile, said that all candidates in the 2024 leadership race had been reminded of the rules on permissible donations. Tory chairman Kevin Hollinrake welcomed the police investigation. “The law is crystal clear that foreign donations are illegal, and the true source of a donation must be declared,” he said. “The public deserves the truth about this donation.”
The Metropolitan Police has not said who may be caught up in its inquiries, and the investigation remains ongoing. The i newspaper first reported the development. A spokesperson for the British businessman Phillip Ullmann – who in September 2024 revealed he was the man behind the Spott Fitness donations – declined to comment.
Jenrick finished second to Kemi Badenoch in the 2024 Tory leadership contest. His move to Reform UK has sharpened the political stakes: if the investigation finds that foreign money illegally entered his campaign, the fallout could extend far beyond one MP.