British Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks at a news conference during his visit to the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Oct. 2.BENJAMIN CREMEL/Reuters
Britain’s ruling Labour Party has been dragged into the heated U.S. election campaign with allegations by Donald Trump’s lawyer that party staffers have engaged in illegal foreign interference.
Gary Lawkowski, a Florida lawyer representing Mr. Trump’s campaign, has filed a complaint with the U.S. Federal Election Commission accusing Democratic rival Kamala Harris of accepting “illegal foreign national contributions” from the Labour Party.
“The far-left Labour Party has inspired Kamala’s dangerously liberal policies and rhetoric,” Mr. Trump’s campaign said in a news release. “In recent weeks, they have recruited and sent party members to campaign for Kamala in critical battleground states, attempting to influence our election.”
In his complaint, Mr. Lawkowski zeroed in on a now-deleted LinkedIn post by Sofia Patel, the head of operations for the Labour Party. “I have nearly 100 Labour Party staff (current and former) going to the U.S. in the next few weeks to North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Virginia,” she wrote. “I have 10 spots available for anyone available to head to the battleground state of North Carolina – we will sort your housing.”
Under U.S. law, foreign nationals are prohibited from “directly or indirectly” contributing money to a campaign or working as paid staff. However, unpaid help is permitted, and it is not uncommon for activists from political parties in Britain and other countries to work as volunteers on campaigns in the U.S.
Mr. Lawkowski alleged that Ms. Patel’s post went further and suggested that the Labour Party was covering the cost of travel and facilitating accommodation. He also alleged that “the 10-spot number suggests scarcity, which in turn suggests an expenditure of resources.”
“Those searching for foreign interference in our elections need to look no further than Ms. Patel’s LinkedIn post. The interference is occurring in plain sight,” he added in his letter of complaint.
Labour Party officials have insisted that none of the staffers were being paid for their work on the Harris campaign and that the party had not organized or funded any of the effort. They have also pointed to Nigel Farage, the leader of Britain’s Reform UK party, who has spoken at several of Mr. Trump’s rallies over the years.
“It’s up to private individuals what they do with their free time, and it’s actually perfectly normal for people who are interested in politics to go from one country to campaign for a sister party in another country. I’ve seen Americans in the U.K. doing that in our elections,” Labour cabinet minister Steve Reed told the BBC Wednesday.
Mr. Farage said he was not paid for his appearances on behalf of Mr. Trump. However, he said Ms. Patel’s post made no mention that staffers would have to cover their own costs or take an unpaid leave. “If you take that at face value, it is a very clear breach of American electoral law, and that is what the Trump campaign is complaining about,” he said Wednesday.
The allegation will be a headache for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who led Labour to a massive victory in the election in July. Mr. Starmer has gone to some lengths to reach out to Mr. Trump, and the two met for dinner in New York in September. At the time, Mr. Trump heaped praise on the new Prime Minister. “I actually think he is very nice. He ran a great race, he did very well. It’s very early, but he is popular,” he told reporters before the meeting.
On Wednesday, Mr. Starmer played down the election interference allegations. The staffers “are doing it in their spare time. They’re doing it as volunteers. They’re staying, I think, with other volunteers over there,” he told reporters while flying to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in Samoa.
He also said he did not believe the allegations would damage his relationship with Mr. Trump. “We had a good, constructive discussion and, of course, as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, I will work with whoever the American people return as their president in their elections, which are very close now.”