Delo, pardoned by Trump after violating US banking law, describes himself as champion of free speech
A British billionaire convicted in the US for failing to implement adequate anti-money-laundering controls in his cryptocurrency business has given £4m to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.
Ben Delo, 42, who is now based in Hong Kong, wrote in the Telegraph that he had made the donation since the start of the year, before the government’s cap on donations to political parties by British citizens living abroad.
The businessman, who was pardoned by Donald Trump last year, is moving back to the UK and therefore will not in future be subject to the new rules for donors. The cap may limit further contributions from Reform UK’s Thai-based donor Christopher Harborne, who has given £12m so far.
In his article for the Telegraph, Delo explained his motivations for turning to Reform UK, saying England was his home and that “the biggest obstacle to national recovery is the entrenched self-deception of our elites”.
