Alex Salmond died virtually penniless trying to defend his reputation in two court cases, it emerged last night.
Lawyers winding up the estate of the former First Minister have confirmed moves to apply for a ‘trustee in sequestration’, a legal process equivalent to declaring the estate bankrupt.
Mr Salmond died in October 2024 at the age of 69 after suffering a heart attack on a visit to North Macedonia.
The former SNP leader contested two court hearings over the course of 18 months beginning in 2018. It is understood the legal actions placed a huge financial strain on him.
Sources claim he ‘lost almost all of his income’ from directorships and speaking engagements as a result of his determination to fight the cases and restore his reputation.
Mr Salmond won a judicial review of the Scottish government’s handling of complaints against him. He was then cleared of 14 charges of sexual misconduct following a High Court trial.
Ex-First Minister Alex Salmond died in October 2024, aged 69
Mr Salmond was also pursuing a claim against the Scottish government for malfeasance – the wrongful exercise of lawful authority – which still remains active.
Last night the firm of Levy & McRae, instructed by Mr Salmond’s widow, Moira, to wind up his affairs, confirmed it had identified the expense of his legal defences as the primary reason for his bankruptcy.
Senior partner David McKie, Mr Salmond’s lawyer in the two cases, said: ‘It is a matter of profound regret that Alex had to invest so much time and money in clearing his name. But most people will understand that faced with such attacks and an unlawful process brought against him, there was no choice for Alex but to defend himself with every resource available.’
His legal battles first started in January 2018 when the Scottish government began an internal investigation into two complaints of harassment by two civil servants.
Mr Salmond vehemently denied the allegations and won a judicial review into the way the investigation was handled.
The Scottish government was later ordered to pay £512,000 in legal costs. However, his lawyers insisted that ‘not a penny’ went to Mr Salmond or his wife, with the entirety used to cover legal bills.
In a statement, his law firm said: ‘The victory came at a significant personal cost.
‘The £512,000 was a contribution to his lawyers, not a compensation package.’
Weeks later Mr Salmond returned to court where he faced 14 charges of alleged sexual misconduct against nine women at the High Court in Edinburgh in March 2020.
He was ultimately acquitted of 12 charges and found not proven on one, with one charge withdrawn – but his defence lawyers cost him more than £300,000.
It suggests that Mr Salmond had to spend about £500,000 on both cases. Mr McKie said: ‘It was a matter of great satisfaction for [Salmond], and for Moira, that he was successful in exposing the unlawful conduct of the Scottish government and then clearing his name.
‘But that success came at a huge cost, in terms of the strain imposed on him personally and the financial pressure which funding that process of vindication imposed.’