Ex-Tory campaign chief and his wife receive suspended sentences over election bets
Anthony Lee, the Conservatives' former director of campaigning, and his wife Laura received suspended prison sentences after admitting to betting on the 2024 general election date using inside information.
The Conservative Party's former director of campaigning and his wife have been handed suspended prison sentences after admitting to cheating at gambling by placing bets on the date of the 2024 general election, the BBC reports.
Anthony Lee used 'inside information' emerging from a private meeting called by then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to bet on the general election date months before it took place, Southwark Crown Court heard. He shared the confidential information with his wife Laura Lee.
The couple pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday. Had their cheating not been uncovered, the Lees stood to win more than £23,000, the court heard.
Lee was sentenced to 10 months and two weeks' imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, while his wife was sentenced to four months and two weeks' imprisonment, suspended for a year. The suspended terms mean neither will serve prison time unless they breach the conditions of their sentences.
The sentencing is the latest chapter in the election betting scandal that engulfed the Conservatives during the 2024 campaign, when several party figures faced investigation over wagers placed on the timing of the vote. The scandal damaged the party's reputation during an already punishing election campaign.
Source: BBC News — Top Stories — TrendWire reports stories in its own words; facts should be confirmed against the original source.