Donation to Robert Jenrick’s Tory management marketing campaign ‘investigated by Metropolitan Police’
The Metropolitan Police force is said to be looking into claims that a donation to Robert Jenrick’s Tory leadership campaign came from a foreign donor, which is illegal under UK election laws
Robert Jenrick ran to be Tory leader in the 2024 race to replace Rishi Sunak defected (Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
Police are reportedly investigating a political donation given to Robert Jenrick’s Tory leadership campaign in 2024.
The Metropolitan Police force is said to be looking into claims that a donation to the campaign came from a foreign donor, which is illegal under UK election laws. Mr Jenrick said the claims, reported in the i newspaper, are “entirely false”.
The former Tory minister – who defected to Reform UK earlier this year – ran to be Conservative Party leader in the 2024 contest to replace Rishi Sunak. He was defeated by Kemi Badenoch.
Allegations relate to a £100,000 donation to the Newark MP’s leadership campaign from UK company Spott Fitness. It is claimed that around a third of this money – some £37,000 – originated from a US business associate of Ullmann, Gary Klopfenstein, who has since been convicted of fraud.
In April, Labour called on Mr Jenrick’s campaign to return the alleged money from Klopfenstein after it was reported that the Electoral Commission was looking into the donation. The Guardian reported that the elections watchdog had referred evidence to the police.
A Met Police spokesman said: “We have launched an investigation following a referral from the Electoral Commission on Tuesday, 6 January concerning donations connected to a political party’s leadership campaign. The investigation remains ongoing.”
The police have not confirmed whether its probe relates to a specific individual.
Tory chairman Kevin Hollinrake said: “The Electoral Commission rightly referred this matter to the Metropolitan Police who are now investigating.
“The law is crystal clear that foreign donations are illegal, and the true source of a donation must be declared. The public deserves the truth about this donation.”
Mr Jenrick said: “These allegations are entirely false, but it is no surprise that an establishment determined to stop Reform from delivering the change that this country so desperately needs would resort to making these demonstrably untrue claims. I have had no contact with the MET police whatsoever in connection with this matter.”
A spokesman for Jenrick said: “The suggestion that Robert knowingly accepted impermissible donations is an untrue, politically motivated smear, put about years later by the Conservatives, despite the fact that Mr Ullman was introduced to Robert by a Tory MP, and had his donations’ permissibility checked by the party.
“Robert and his campaign team complied with all electoral laws when receiving the donation received from Spott Fitness Ltd in 2024. Mr Jenrick has never met, spoken to, or had any contact with Mr Klopfenstein, nor was he aware of any connection between him and Mr Ullman’s donation until he was contacted by the Electoral Commission.
“He fully cooperated with the Electoral Commission inquiry, providing detailed records that categorically disproved these smears in 2025.”
An Electoral Commission spokeswoman said: “We have been investigating donations connected to a 2024 leadership campaign. Evidence of potential offences outside our remit was referred to the Metropolitan Police Service on 6 January 2026. Our investigation is paused pending their investigation into this matter.
“We don’t discuss the details of our investigations and cannot comment further at this stage. “
