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Rishi Sunak’s nearest parliamentary assistant when he was prime minister, along with 14 others, was charged with offenses for elections.
The 15, also a current Welsh Senedd member and a former police officer, has been charged with fraud related to bets placed on the timing of the general election of 2024.
They will appear at Westminster Magistrate’s Court at 10am this Friday to face the charges.
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The Gambling Commission said that the investigation, which began in June last year, “focused on individuals who presumably used confidential information – specifically knowledge of the proposed election date – to get an unfair advantage in betting markets”.
This opened the investigation after the former Montgomereshire member of MP Craig Williams, the former private secretary of Sunak, Mr. allowed him to put a bet of £ 100 on May 19, 2024 that the election would be in July.
Mr. Sunak announced that the general election would be on July 4, three days after Williams, who was also an election candidate, placed the bet.
Williams, who was dropped as a candidate, admitted last June that he had placed a ‘flutter’ on the election, saying that he had “committed a serious judgment error, not an offense”.
Russell George has been suspended as a member of the Senedd. Photo: Welsh Parliament
Among those charged is Russell George, a conservative member of the Welsh Senedd, who returned to the leading bank in October after returning from his role as spokesman for the middle ways in June.
Over the weekend, the Welsh Conservatives again chose him to be a candidate in the Senedd election next year, but has now suspended him “pending results of the legal process”.
Other notable people charged are former police officer Jeremy Hunt, Tony Lee, former conservative campaign director and his wife, Laura Saunders, a former candidate for Tory election, and Nick Mason, the former main data of conservative.
Many others are or have also been conservative party staff. The party said those who still work for them were suspended.
A conservative party spokeswoman said: ‘The Conservative Party believes that those who work in politics should act with integrity. Current staff members charged are suspended immediately.
“These incidents occurred in May last year. Our party is now under new leadership and our work fully with the Gambling Commission to ensure that their investigation can end quickly and transparently.”
Tony Lee was Conservative Campaign Director
The 15 people charged are:
• Simon Chatfield (51) of Farnham
• Russell George (50) of Newtown, Wales (suspended Welsh Conservative Senedd member of Montgomeryshire)
• Amy Hind, 34, of LoughTon, Essex
• Anthony Hind, 36, of LoughGton, Essex
• Jeremy Hunt, 55, of Horley (a former police officer, not the former chancellor)
• Thomas James (38) of Brecon, Wales
• Charlotte Long, 36, of Brixton
• Anthony Lee (47), Bristol (known as Tony, former director of the Conservative Party campaign)
• Iain MakePeace (47) of Newcastle Upon Tyne
• Nick Mason (51) of Gillingham (former head of the Conservative Party)
• Paul Place (53) of Hammersmith, London
• Laura Saunders, 37, of Bristol (Tony Lee’s wife and conservative candidate for 2024 for Bristol North West who was then dropped)
• James Ward (40) of East London
• Craig Williams (39) of Llanfair Caereinion, Welshpool
• Jacob Willmer, 39, of Richmond, London.
Labor candidate Kevin Craig was included in the investigation after placing a bet that he would lose his bid to become an MP, but that he was relieved of any offense in December.
Laura Saunders was the candidate of the party in Bristol North West and is the wife of Tony Lee Pic: Laura Saunders for Bristol North West
Have investigated the police
After the Gambling Commission began its investigation last June, the Metropolitan Police opened an investigation whether any of the political figures or police had committed misconduct in public office.
In August 2024, the Met said they would not have charged any of them, but that they were being investigated by the gambling commission on whether their criminal gambling laws had broken.
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