An amount close to £40,000 was gifted to Nottinghamshire MP Robert Jenrick during his failed attempt to become Conservative leader, and police are reportedly examining it. The Metropolitan Police are looking at material passed to them by the elections regulator following its own inquiry, the Guardian reports. The newspaper says the Electoral Commission has been looking into assertions that almost £40,000 in contributions to Jenrick’s 2024 bid came from an overseas origin, which would breach electoral rules. The Newark MP lost the race to lead the Conservatives to Kemi Badenoch, and this year departed the party to sign up with Reform UK, where he has become a key figure in Nigel Farage’s senior leadership. In comments, the Met stated that on Tuesday 6 January, they received a referral from the Electoral Commission regarding contributions linked to a leadership campaign. The force said the referral is being examined and until that process is finished, they cannot provide further remarks. The Electoral Commission said it had been investigating contributions linked to a 2024 leadership campaign. Evidence suggesting potential offences beyond its powers was forwarded to the Metropolitan Police Service on 6 January 2026. The watchdog said its investigation is on hold while it awaits the force’s assessment. The commission stressed it does not discuss investigation specifics and cannot offer further comment at this time. The Guardian reported it had discovered the claims concerned a UK-registered business named The Spott Fitness, though assertions suggest £37,500 of the £100,000 in contributions to Jenrick ultimately came from American businessman Gary Klopfenstein through an American firm he set up called Innovyz USA. In remarks supplied to the newspaper, a Jenrick spokesperson said the claim that Robert knowingly accepted impermissible contributions is a false, politically driven attack, circulated years later by the Conservatives, despite the fact that Mr Ullmann was introduced to Robert by a Conservative MP and had his contributions’ permissibility verified by the party. Robert and his campaign team followed all electoral law when receiving the contribution from Spott Fitness Ltd in 2024. Mr Jenrick has never met, spoken to, or had any contact with Mr Klopfenstein, nor was he aware of any connection between him and Mr Ullmann’s contribution until contacted by the Electoral Commission. He cooperated fully with the Electoral Commission inquiry, supplying detailed records that conclusively refuted these attacks in 2025. The disagreement between these two businessmen, which appears to be the source of these allegations, has no connection to Robert. He is unaware of any police examination of this matter and has not been contacted by officers, though he would naturally provide any assessment, should one exist, with the same documentation he provided the Electoral Commission.