Farage insisted he "wasn't in politics" when the money changed hands, though BBC Radio 4's Nick Robinson noted that Farage had spent 40 minutes on his own podcast discussing a possible run for Parliament. Farage said that at the time he was, “far from making my mind up.”
He denied giving conflicting stories, saying that he was given the money “unconditionally."
“I believe it was a reward for giving up a quarter of a century of my life, giving up a huge income in the City of London, putting up with lots of abuse,” Farage told LBC Radio. “I believe that was the motive, whether it was or not. That is that side of the equation. The other side of the equation is what I intend to do with that. I’ve made that perfectly clear.”
Farage and cryptoFarage also pushed back on the idea the gift bought crypto-friendly advocacy, saying he was not paid to promote the industry because he already backed changing the law. Even if London became a crypto-trading hub, he told the BBC, "it would still be a minute part of the global market," and would not move prices "in any way at all."
Asked whether he would return the money if found to have broken the rules, Farage said he didn't think it was "any of your business, frankly," but that "if the standards commissioner decides that it is, we'll talk about it again." A breach could mean suspension from the Commons and, potentially, a by-election in Clacton.
