In May 2019 British broadcaster Channel 4 News reported it had seen invoices for travel and accommodation expenses between summer 2016 and summer 2017 . It further reported that these benefits , worth " as much as £ 450,000 " , were funded by Arron Banks , and were not declared on Farage 's register of interests , which he should have done as a serving MEP . Liberal Democrat MEP Catherine Bearder , in her role as a quaestor ( an MEP responsible for financial and administrative matters ) , raised the issue and this resulted in an official investigation opening on 21 May 2019 . When asked by the BBC about the matter Farage replied , " Whatever happened after the referendum – I was leaving politics , it happened mostly in America , it had nothing to do with politics , nothing to do with the Brexit Party , it was purely on a personal basis . I was looking for a new career and a new life – it 's got nothing to do with anything , it 's a purely private matter . " < ! -- Deleted image removed : In a May 2016 interview with Robert Peston , Farage said that , whilst he had reservations on the views and character of 2016 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump , if he were an eligible US voter he would vote for Trump in 2016 presidential election , to prevent Hillary Clinton becoming president . In July 2016 , Farage visited the Republican convention in Cleveland with his aide and office manager George Cottrell . Both Farage and Cottrell appeared on American television and engaged in discussions with Trump 's aides before Cottrell was arrested by the FBI on 21 federal counts of fraud , money laundering and extortion . Farage " was unaware of Cottrell 's alleged illegal activities and his arrest by the FBI came as a shock . " Cottrell 's arrest left Farage unable to access his personal diary . Cottrell ultimately pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud as part of a plea agreement with U.S. federal prosecutors and was sentenced to eight months in U.S. federal prison and was fined $ 30,000 ; the crime had been committed before Cottrell joined UKIP
Republican convention in Cleveland
2016 Republican National Convention
Nigel Farage