Donald Trump’s campaign has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), accusing the British Labor Party of “blatant foreign interference” in the US election by supporting the Harris-Waltz campaign.
The complaint cites media reports about contacts and apparent volunteering between Labor and the Harris campaign, alleging that this constitutes an illegal “donation.”
The BBC understands that the Labor Party activist campaigning in the US presidential election is working in a personal capacity.
Labor has not issued an official response.
Specifically, the complaint cites newspaper reports that Labor Party officials traveled to the United States to campaign for Harris.
The complaint alleges that the report creates “a reasonable inference that the Harris campaign accepted illegal foreign contributions made by the Labor Party.”
The letter notes that the Washington Post reported that communications were exchanged between the parties and that senior officials met privately.
The complaint also cites a social media post on LinkedIn in which a Labor Party official said “nearly 100 current and former party members are heading to battleground states in the United States.”
A post from Labour’s operations chief Sophia Patel said 10 “spots” were available, adding: “We will sort your home.”
It seems it has since been deleted.
The complaint draws comparisons to a 2016 international program in which the Australian Labor Party (ALP) sent a delegation to support Bernie Sanders’ campaign.
However, in this case, ALP paid for the airline ticket and per diem. The party and campaign were each sentenced to a civil fine of $14,500.
Party officials understand that the Labor activists’ trip was not organized or funded by the party.
FEC rules allow foreign nationals to work as campaign volunteers as long as they are not compensated.
It is considered normal for British party officials to have contact with their American counterparts.
This battle has occurred before between the British Conservative Party and the American Republican Party.
The BBC has contacted the Harris-Waltz camp for comment.
