Nigel Farage accepted gifts from crypto-linked fraudster: report
Before becoming an MP in July 2024, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage reportedly accepted gifts—staff, security, transport and accommodation—from George Cottrell, a convicted US fraudster tied to offshore crypto casino Tether.bet. The Sunday Times alleges Farage did not fully disclose the benefits, intensifying scrutiny of his pro-crypto political network.
Key Takeaways
- The Sunday Times reported that Nigel Farage accepted gifts from George Cottrell before his 2024 election, including staff, security, transport and accommodation.
- Cottrell is a convicted wire fraudster involved in Tether.bet, an offshore gambling site using the Tether stablecoin.
- Farage registered only one benefit from Cottrell upon entering Parliament—less than £9,300 for a Belgium trip.
- Farage already faces a parliamentary standards inquiry over an undeclared £5 million gift from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne.
- Farage says he followed the rules and called The Times report a hit job.
Who is George Cottrell and what did he reportedly provide?
According to reporting cited by Cointelegraph, The Sunday Times said George Cottrell gifted Nigel Farage staff, security, transport and accommodation. Cottrell has been a close adviser to Farage for more than a decade and is involved in Tether.bet, a gambling site that uses the Tether (USDt) stablecoin.
The outlet reported that Cottrell provided drivers and security made up primarily of former soldiers. He also reportedly recruited and paid for three staff members to help with Farage's social media work.
Since Farage's election, Cottrell has reportedly let him use a rented five-story house near Buckingham Palace. A Reform source told The Times that Farage almost always stayed at his own home and did not routinely use the property.
Why does this matter for UK crypto politics?
This is the second time Farage has faced reports of undeclared gifts from wealthy figures tied to crypto. A parliamentary standards watchdog opened an inquiry in May over whether he failed to declare a £5 million gift from Christopher Harborne, a crypto billionaire who partly owns stablecoin giant Tether.
Farage has advocated for crypto while in Parliament, even as the industry faces increasing regulatory scrutiny. The UK Treasury temporarily banned political donations made in cryptocurrencies in March.
Labour MP Phil Brickell recently reported Farage to the standards commissioner over alleged lobbying of the Bank of England on digital currency plans. Brickell argued Harborne stood to benefit from opposition to a state-backed digital currency that could compete with private stablecoins.
For readers tracking political money flows in digital assets, this story sits alongside broader fintech and crypto alerts shaping UK policy debates.
What is Cottrell's criminal record?
In 2016, Cottrell was arrested and charged in the US with 21 offenses for his role in a money laundering plot. He pleaded guilty to a single wire fraud charge after a plea deal and spent eight months in prison.
Farage registered only one benefit from Cottrell upon entering Parliament: less than £9,300 for travel, security and accommodation to attend an event in Belgium. The gap between that disclosure and the wider support described in the report is central to the controversy.
What has Nigel Farage said in response?
Farage said in a Sunday statement that he followed the rules over the gifts from Cottrell, which he received before he was elected a member of parliament in July 2024. He called The Times' report a hit job.
On the separate Harborne gift, Farage has argued he does not need to declare it because it was given to pay for personal security before he was an MP. Reform and Farage have championed crypto, publishing draft legislation aimed at making the UK the world's premier hub for cryptocurrency.