Millionaire Brexit backer Arron Banks today tore into claims he flouted the law to win Brexit – saying he is ‘not an evil genius who controls democracy’.
He was accused by Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Brittany Kaiser of illegally using the data of Britons signed up to his insurance firms Eldon and GoSkippy for the Leave.EU campaign.
And he has been hit with explosive revelations he met the Russian ambassador in the run up to the crunch vote as the Kremlin was trying to meddle in the campaign.
Grilled by MPs on the claims today, Mr Banks accused them of having a ‘vested interest’ in trying to discredit the Brexit campaign because they do not like the vote.
And he dismissed Mr Kaiser of being a ‘fantasist’ and a ‘Walter Mitty character’ who does not have a ‘shred of evidence’ to support her claim.
Mr Banks – a close friend of Nigel Farage – and his aide Andy Wigmore were hauled in front of the culture, media and sport select committee which is investigating fake news.
He mocked claims he swayed the vote through sinister means, telling MPs: ‘I like to think I’m an evil genius with a white cap who controls all of democracy, but clearly that’s not true.’
Arron Banks (pictured, right, in parliament today with his aide Andy Wigmore) founder of Leave.EU has been accused of breaking the law by using the data of Britons who had signed up to his insurance firm for the Brexit campaign
The pair appeared before the culture select committee today where Arron Banks tore into the claims against him and branded the Cambridge Analytica whistleblowers as lacking credibility
He said claims made by Ms Kaiser that staff at lLeave.EU were openly using the private data of customers form his insurance business is a ‘flat lie’.
He said: ‘They are Walter Mitty type characters….
‘Their credibility is some what shot to pieces by their somewhat fantastical statements made afterwards – they enjoyed their time in the limelight.’
And in the sometimes bad-tempered select committee grilling he accused MPs of pursuing a vendetta against the Brexit campaign because they do not like the outcome of the vote.
He said: ‘I’m frankly sick and tired of this. You’ve got a vested interest in trying to discredit the Brexit campaign.
‘Look, you’ve not called any witnesses from the remain campaign to hammer them.
‘If Mr [George] Osborne, editor of the Evening Standard, isn’t going to any football matches with Putin’s number one man, he’s certainly working for Putin’s second man.
‘The guy leading the remain campaign is working for a Putin oligarch in London.
‘If you can’t see double standards, I don’t think that’s fair.’
He also slammed recent reports that his meetings with the Russian ambassador Alexander Yakovenko were suspicious or showed Vladimir Putin was trying to meddle in the referendum
He said: ‘If I meet you for a glass of wine there must be some dreadful conspiracy – but there has been no shred of evidence on anything. That’s what I find frustrating.’
Mr Banks has been called to give evidence to the inquiry after he was dragged into the Cambridge Analytica row.
CA was accused of plundering the details of 100 million Facebook profiles and using the information to help sway the Brexit and Donald Trump votes.
The firm, which has folded in the wake of the hugely damaging claims, has insisted it did no actual work for the Brexit campaign – although it did pitch for work with Leave.EU.
CA whistleblower Ms Kaiser accused Mr Banks of potentially breaking the law by using the data of Britons who had signed up to his insurance firm for the Brexit campaign.
She said the misuse of data between Leave.EU, Ukip and GoSkippy/Eldon Insurance was rife during the referendum campaign.
This raises serious questions about whether the Data Protection Act was breached, she told MPs.
Today Mr Banks dismissed CA as an ‘ad agency overplaying its hand’.
He also said that a lot of companies are doing the same kind of work as CA.
He said: ‘I think they were an ad agency with a very slick story.
‘They got involved overseas with very odd things, though, and no-one can approve of that, surely.’
Mr Wigmore added: ‘What they were doing in politics is really not unusual. And by the way there are a hundred other Cambridge Analyticas out there.
‘And in consumer marketing, they are nothing special.’
Mr Banks said Leave.EU was an ‘agent provocateur’ who stirred things up and took the micky out of politicians.
The pair were also quizzed on their links to Russia.
Explosive claims emerged at the weekend revealing that Mr Banks had three meetings with Russian ambassador despite previously claiming to have had only a ‘boozy lunch’ with him.
Leaked emails written by Mr Banks and his Leave.EU right-hand-man Mr Wigmore –allegedly show they were in close contact with Russian officials throughout the referendum campaign and afterwards.
Mr Banks confirmed that gave the phone number of Mr Trump’s campaign group to the Russian ambassador.
He said he was given the number by a woman on Mr Trump’s campaign team who gave it to him to pass on to Theresa May’s team because they had not been in contact.
Brexit backers Andy Wigmore and Arron Banks (pictured arriving at Parliament this morning where they were accosted by a pro EU campaigner who handed them a pork pie) are being grilled on their role in the referendum campaign are under the spotlight
He said he was ‘shocked’ to be told that No10 did not have the details and were unprepared for Mr Trump’s election.
Asked directly if he ever accepted money from Russia for the EU referendum, Mr Banks said: ‘No’.
And he said that he has never had any business interests in Russia or any brushes with organised crime there.
And he accused British MPs of being behind an anti-Russian witch hunt.
Addressing Ian Lucas, a Labour MP who sits on the committee, Mr Banks said: ‘Ian, if the French ambassador called up and asked to meet you for lunch, you’d go. It would be nice!
‘What I’m saying is, we’ve now got a full-scale Russian witch-hunt going on, but before that it wasn’t an issue.’
Mr Banks had promised ‘fireworks’ at today’s hearing in front of Tory MP and committee chairman Damian Collins and his colleagues.
He arrived in a jocular mood at Parliament this morning, laughing and joking with Mr Wigmore.
He was accosted by a pro EU protester draped in a UK flag outside Parliament this morning who handed the pair a plate of pork pies, which they happily tucked into.
During their lengthy hearing before the committee, the men were quizzed about whether they used ‘fake news’ in their Brexit referendum campaign.
Mr Banks said they were happy to ‘lead journalists up the garden path’.
Mr Wigmore added: ‘The piece of advice we got at the beginning was remember referendums are not about facts they are about emotion.
‘It doesn’t matter how many facts you chuck in, it’s white noise to people.
‘People are voting on something they believe and feel.’
The hearing kicked off with a Mr Wigmore suggesting that Mr Collins should step down from his role leading the inquiry.
He said he should ‘recuse’ himself after it emerged he accepted two free football tickets to watch Chelsea form Roman Abramovich – a close ally of Vladimir Putin.
He said: ‘In light, Mr Chairman, of the fact that according to Guido [Fawkes – a website] you had some hospitality from Putin’s number one man in the United Kingdom do you not believe you are a bit conflicted quizzing us about this today.
‘Can I make a suggestion – perhaps you might want to recuse yourself and let someone else take over as chairman? So resign so you can ask us interdependently.’
Mr Collins laughed and replied: ‘It’s a nice try Mr Wigmore.
‘I didn’t know Mr Abramovich was Putin’s number one man in London – but you might know more than me
‘I got invited to football – I didn’t meet the owner and I wasn’t offered Stalin’s vodka or anything.’
Mr Banks chipped in saying: ‘But Damian you know how it looks – you meet Russians and then people write terrible things about you – I just mentioning it.
The Tory MP replied: ‘I have mentioned in my register of members interests that I accepted two tickets to go and watch Chelsea play Crystal palace
‘I can say there were no inducements offers, no shares in goldmines – nothing transpired at that football match that would give anyone cause for concern
‘There were no honey traps – Chelsea won 2 1 and that was it.’
Mr Banks (pictured outside Parliament tucking into a pork pie with his friend and aide Andy Wigmore) has been hauled in front of MPs to explain his role in the referendum and his ties to Russia amid claims the Kremlin targeted him as part of a bid to meddle in the referendum