Reform UK has concluded that it did not breach electoral law following an internal investigation prompted by allegations related to foreign donations. The party’s probe, released Wednesday, examined claims stemming from a Channel 4 News report in which undercover journalists posed as American donors and recorded senior Reform figures discussing ways to conceal foreign funding.

The 27-page report found that while two senior party officials made statements described as “wrong, careless and in one instance untrue,” there was no evidence that the proposed £500,000 donation from a foreign source, highlighted in the undercover footage, ever took place. Furthermore, the investigation found no proof that Reform commissioned polls funded by the undercover reporters, contrary to the allegations.

Reform UK suspended Dan Jukes, a longtime aide to leader Nigel Farage, and James Orr, head of policy, following the initial broadcast of the undercover footage. While the party’s report stated that both men did not facilitate any illegal donations, it criticized their conduct in conversations with the undercover journalists, particularly regarding discussions about the proposed donation and the involvement of pollster JL Partners. The report specifies that Mr. Jukes arranged the polls independently, not on behalf of Reform UK.

A spokesperson for Reform UK accused the production company behind the Channel 4 investigation, Verbatim Investigations, of having acted unlawfully and indicated the party would pursue “appropriate legal action in due course.” Verbatim, however, defended its journalism as credible, noting it had undergone thorough editorial and legal review before airing. Channel 4 also reaffirmed its confidence in the accuracy of its report.

The controversy drew criticism from the Labour Party, which labeled Reform’s internal investigation a “whitewash” and argued it failed to exonerate the party or Nigel Farage from wrongdoing. The initial Channel 4 report had overshadowed Reform UK’s conference in Birmingham last month and prompted a Metropolitan Police inquiry into the party’s financial dealings. The police confirmed their ongoing investigation would include scrutiny of the undercover material.

Reform UK’s findings underscore the distinction between inappropriate comments by senior party figures and actual electoral law violations. The case remains under police review, while internal and external debates over the incident’s implications continue.