▁treatment ▁of ▁oppon ents ". ▁ ▁Conc ern s ▁about ▁political ▁independence ; ▁investigation ▁ ▁David ▁Davis , ▁Steve ▁Baker ▁and ▁Lord ▁Call an an , ▁minister s ▁at ▁the ▁Department ▁for ▁Ex iting ▁the ▁European ▁Union ▁( D Ex E U ) ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁all ▁recorded ▁meet ings ▁with ▁the ▁IE A ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁three ▁months ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 8 . ▁The ▁Ob server ▁reported ▁on ▁ 2 9 ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁that ▁the ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁IE A ▁was ▁secret ly ▁recorded ▁in ▁May ▁and ▁June ▁telling ▁an ▁under cover ▁rep orter ▁that ▁fund ers ▁could ▁get ▁to ▁know ▁minister s ▁on ▁first - name ▁terms ▁and ▁that ▁his ▁organisation ▁was ▁in ▁" the ▁Bre x it ▁influen cing ▁game ". ▁While ▁seeking ▁fund ing , ▁Little wood ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁IE A ▁allowed ▁don ors ▁to ▁affect ▁the ▁" s ali ence " ▁of ▁reports ▁and ▁to ▁shape ▁" subst ant ial ▁content ". ▁The ▁recording ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁given ▁to ▁the ▁Char ity ▁Commission ▁on ▁ 3 0 ▁July . ▁ ▁The ▁Char ity ▁Commission , ▁considering ▁that ▁the ▁alleg ations ▁raised ▁by ▁the ▁record ings ▁were ▁" of ▁a ▁serious ▁nature ", ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁ ▁opened ▁a ▁regul atory ▁comp liance ▁case ▁into ▁the ▁IE A ▁due ▁to ▁concerns ▁about ▁its ▁political ▁independence , ▁after ▁it ▁became ▁known ▁that ▁it ▁offered ▁potential ▁US ▁don ors ▁access ▁to ▁minister s ▁while ▁raising ▁funds