Donald Trump’s white nationalist campaign attracted anti-immigrant, pro-Russia politicians from across Europe. In particular “Brexit” leader Nigel Farage, the proudly racist and sexist former head of the nationalist UK Independence Party, made an unprecedented trans-Atlantic push for Trump. Farage attended the Republican convention, did media appearances to support Trump, joined in raising the rabble at Trump rallies, and even defended Trump’s ugly Access Hollywood statements as just the bragging of an “alpha male.” Farage is also an admirer of Trump adviser Steve Bannon, with a Breitbart-friendly relationship that extends back at least three years. And now Trump and Farage have something else in common:
Nigel Farage is a “person of interest” in the US counter-intelligence investigation that is looking into possible collusion between the Kremlin and Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, the Guardian has been told.
Farage says he’s never even been to Russia … though he refuses to say if he’s received payment from RT or other Russian state media. Farage has met with Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange, with Assange-friendly whackadoodle Roger Stone, and seems to have just incidentally been involved with a lot of people whose names keep showing up on the FBI radar.
“He’s right in the middle of these relationships. He turns up over and over again. There’s a lot of attention being paid to him.”
Farage has some recent FBI experience. In July, the FBI nabbed Farage’s top aide, for laundering drug money through the dark net.
The aide, George Cottrell, previously ran the UKIP offices as well as Farage’s personal blog. He was arrested by the FBI when Farage and Cottrell came to the US for the Republican Convention. Cottrell was later found guilty of wire fraud for offering to help criminals launder funds.
He was put in handcuffs and extradited to Arizona on 1 August. Mr Farage said he knew nothing of his aide’s illegal activity and returned to the UK without his aide last year.
Donald Trump isn’t the only foreign leader who has met with Farage’s approval.
The former Ukip leader has voiced his support for the Russian president, calling Vladimir Putin the leader he most admired, in a 2014 interview.
Farage has connections to Roger Stone and Julian Assange, an aide who was convicted of money laundering on the dark net, an obsession with Putin, a history of playing fast and loose with ‘”gifts” he’s received during his time in office, and has been running around the world to support pro-Russian candidates including both Trump and Marine Le Pen.
It’s not surprising that he should come to the FBI’s attention. It’ll be more surprising if he comes up clean.