Arron Banks met Russian ambassador more than once. So what?

Millionaire ‘not remotely remorseful’ over
repeated contact with Russian officials in run-up to EU vote

In Depth

Banks visited Moscow in February 2016, was offered a business
deal involving six Russian goldmines, and even invited Yakovenko to
a party on the day of the referendum, the emails show.

“The revelations raise explosive questions about attempts by
Moscow to influence the referendum result,” claims the
newspaper.

The accusations come as Donald Trump’s campaign staff face
investigation by a special prosecutor over whether they colluded with Moscow to influence the US
presidential election.

The Russian Embassy insists that it “has not in any way
intervened in the domestic UK political process, including the
Brexit referendum” and that meeting stakeholders from across a
country’s political spectrum is a “natural element of the work of
any embassy”.

How has Banks responded?

The Brexiteer, who is due to give evidence to MPs on the Commons
Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee tomorrow as part of its
“fake news” inquiry, said “most of the facts” within The Sunday
Times report were correct, but told the newspaper: “Bite me.”

He confirmed that he had two lunches and a cup of tea with
Yakovenko. However, when asked why he had only disclosed one of the
meetings in his book, he said: “It’s not a court of law. So what?
I’m not remotely remorseful.”

Any suggestion that Leave.EU received financial help from Russia
was “complete, absolute garbage”, he said, positioning himself as
the victim of a “witch-hunt”.

Banks later told ITV News: “We did meet the Russian ambassador.
We did have a cup of tea. At the end of the day, so what?”