Police are currently investigating a political donation made to Robert Jenrick’s leadership bid for the Conservative Party in 2024. The Metropolitan Police force is looking into allegations that a donation to Jenrick’s campaign violated UK election laws by originating from a foreign donor. Jenrick has denied these claims, calling them “entirely false.”
The investigation stems from a £100,000 donation to Jenrick’s campaign from a UK company called Spott Fitness, with approximately £37,000 allegedly coming from a US business associate of Ullmann, Gary Klopfenstein, who has a history of fraud convictions.
Labour urged Jenrick’s campaign to return the money linked to Klopfenstein after the Electoral Commission flagged the donation for investigation. Subsequently, the Electoral Commission referred evidence to the police, prompting the launch of the ongoing investigation by the Metropolitan Police.
Tory chairman Kevin Hollinrake emphasized the importance of transparency in political donations, stating that foreign contributions are illegal and must be properly disclosed to the public. Jenrick has refuted the allegations, claiming they are unfounded and politically motivated to hinder Reform’s agenda for change.
A spokesman for Jenrick clarified that all electoral laws were followed when accepting the donation from Spott Fitness in 2024. Jenrick maintained that he had no knowledge of the connection between Klopfenstein and the donation until contacted by the Electoral Commission, and he cooperated fully with the inquiry, providing evidence to disprove the accusations in 2025.
The Electoral Commission confirmed that they had been investigating donations related to the 2024 leadership campaign and had referred potential offenses to the Metropolitan Police in January 2026. The Electoral Commission’s investigation is on hold pending the outcome of the police inquiry.