Overview

• Nathan Gill pleaded guilty last month to eight counts of bribery for taking payments to make pro-Russian statements while serving as a Member of the European Parliament.
• Prosecutors said his actions included remarks about events in Ukraine in the European Parliament and opinion pieces for news outlets between December 6, 2018 and July 18, 2019.
• Gill, 52, later led Reform UK Wales from March to May 2021.
• Nigel Farage said he was “shocked” by Gill’s admissions and described him as a “bad apple,” stressing the party’s efforts to vet candidates.
• Farage’s comments came as he campaigned in Caerphilly for a Senedd by-election, with the controversy adding to wider scrutiny of Reform UK’s vetting record, which he says he largely inherited and has disputed with Vetting.com.