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17/07/2018
Vote Leave Fined And Referred To PSNI
Brexit campaign group Vote Leave has been fined and referred to the PSNI for breaking electoral law, the Electoral Commission has confirmed.
The commission said "significant evidence" was found during an investigation of joint working between the lead leave campaigner, Vote Leave, and the campaign group BeLeave.
The commission said: "Evidence shows that BeLeave spent more than £675,000 with Aggregate IQ under a common plan with Vote Leave.
"This spending should have been declared by Vote Leave.
"It means Vote Leave exceeded its legal spending limit of £7 million by almost £500,000.
"Vote Leave also returned an incomplete and inaccurate spending report, with nearly £234,501 reported incorrectly, and invoices missing for £12,849.99 of spending.
"Darren Grimes, the founder of the BeLeave campaign group, was found to have committed two offences and has been fined £20,000.
"Mr Grimes spent more than £675,000 on behalf of BeLeave, a non-registered campaigner that had a spending limit of £10,000.
"Further, he wrongly reported that same spending as his own.
"The commission has now referred both Mr David Halsall, the responsible person for Vote Leave, and Mr Grimes to the Metropolitan Police in relation to false declarations of campaign spending."
The commission imposed fines of £61,000 on Vote Leave.
(CD/MH)
The commission said "significant evidence" was found during an investigation of joint working between the lead leave campaigner, Vote Leave, and the campaign group BeLeave.
The commission said: "Evidence shows that BeLeave spent more than £675,000 with Aggregate IQ under a common plan with Vote Leave.
"This spending should have been declared by Vote Leave.
"It means Vote Leave exceeded its legal spending limit of £7 million by almost £500,000.
"Vote Leave also returned an incomplete and inaccurate spending report, with nearly £234,501 reported incorrectly, and invoices missing for £12,849.99 of spending.
"Darren Grimes, the founder of the BeLeave campaign group, was found to have committed two offences and has been fined £20,000.
"Mr Grimes spent more than £675,000 on behalf of BeLeave, a non-registered campaigner that had a spending limit of £10,000.
"Further, he wrongly reported that same spending as his own.
"The commission has now referred both Mr David Halsall, the responsible person for Vote Leave, and Mr Grimes to the Metropolitan Police in relation to false declarations of campaign spending."
The commission imposed fines of £61,000 on Vote Leave.
(CD/MH)
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