Arron Banks referred to National Crime Agency - BBC News
"Mr Banks said he had received no foreign money, no Russian money and he was a UK taxpayer,"
Arron Banks - Wikipedia
"Mr Banks said he had received no foreign money, no Russian money and he was a UK taxpayer,"
From September 2015, Banks, along with Andy Wigmore, had multiple meetings with Russian officials posted at the Russian embassy in London.[8] In November 2015, Alexander Yakovenko, the Russian ambassador, introduced Banks to a Russian businessman, which was followed by other business proposals on the part of Russians.[5][69] Banks was offered a chance to invest in Russian-owned gold or diamond mines; the deal involved funding from a Russian state-owned bank, and was announced 12 days after the Brexit referendum.[8][5]It is not clear if Banks invested, although he tweeted on 17 July 2016 : “I am buying gold at the moment & big mining stocks.” There is no public record of Banks being an investor in it.
For two years, Banks insisted his only contacts with the Russian government consisted of one “boozy lunch” with the ambassador. After the Observer revealed that he had had multiple meetings at which he had been offered lucrative business deals, Banks told a parliamentary inquiry into fake news he had had “two or three” meetings. In July 2018 when pressed by the New York Times, he admitted a fourth meeting. The Observer has seen evidence that suggests his Leave.EU campaign team met with Russian embassy officials as many as 11 times in the run-up to the EU referendum and in the two months beyond. [70]
It has been reported that on 12 November 2016, Arron Banks had a meeting with president-elect Donald Trump in Trump Tower and that upon return to London, Banks had lunch with the Russian ambassador where they discussed the Trump visit
It has been reported that on 12 November 2016, Arron Banks had a meeting with president-elect Donald Trump in Trump Tower and that upon return to London, Banks had lunch with the Russian ambassador where they discussed the Trump visit
Following the murder of Jo Cox, Arron Banks controversially commissioned a poll on whether her murder had affected public opinion on voting. Asked whether the wording of the poll was "tasteless", Banks said "I don't think so",[63] adding that: "We were hoping to see what the effect of the event was. That is an interesting point of view, whether it would shift public opinion."
In August 2017, Banks wrote to all voters in Philip Hammond's constituency, seeking support for a move to deselect Hammond. In response to a constituent's email, Hammond said "others will disagree with my views and someone with opposing views to mine can always stand for election against me.... I challenge Mr Banks to do so".
Arron Banks - Wikipedia
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