Did Channel 4 break the law?

It was reported last night on several blogs including Iain Dale here, and Conservative Home here, that CCHQ has foiled an attempt by Channel 4 to infiltrate a Conservative fundraising organisation. It is alleged that a production assistant for the Dispatches programme called Jenny Williams attempted to join, and made a donation to the party, but that Conservative officials became aware that something funny was going on.


Both blogs quote an official Conservative statement that

"It is not acceptable for journalists to masquerade as a member of the Conservative Party - or any Party for that matter - in a covert, self-appointed role to “check” compliance procedures. It is of particular concern that as part of this subterfuge, Channel 4 deliberately obscured the source of Party donations so we were misled into believing it was Miss Williams who made the donations, when it was not."

The party has a letter of apology from Ms Williams which apparently includes the following statement

"I write to confirm that the donation of the sum of £334 made in two payments on the 4th August 2008, and the 1st September 2008 were made by me but the true donor was Channel Four Television."



When it became clear that the money had been given under false pretences the Conservative party did not apply it to party funds, but instead donated it to the Welsh House Farm Project, a community centre in Birmingham.



It is my understanding of the campaign finance laws passed by the present government that giving money to a political party through surrogates or knowingly making a false declaration about where money donated to a political party has come from is now illegal. Certainly the police investigated a recent case when it was alleged that money was given to the Labour party through surrogates.



Did Channel 4 or Ms Williams break the law ? It will be interesting to see whether the electoral commission or the police follow this up.

Comments

Anonymous said…
What about Lord Ashcroft's donations? you'awfully quiet about those.
6:25 pm
Chris Whiteside said…
On the contrary. Lord Ashcroft's donations are entirely legal and above board, and have all been declared to the electoral commission.

Yes, my campaign has had some support from the target seats campaign chaired by Lord Ashcroft and I am grateful for it - though in my opinion the contribution made by Michael Ashcroft to the Conservative party as a highly skilled organiser who has instilled a sense of discipline into the party's target seats campaign has been of even greater value to the party than the money he has given.

Incidentally, not all of the money in the target seats fund comes from Michael Ashcroft personally but all of it is properly and legally declared.

I would add that the support I have had from the target seats fund is significantly less than the amount of taxpayers money available to my Labour opponent as a so-called "communications allowance." What Lord Ashcroft has done is level the playing field.
8:28 pm
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