1/ Livestreamtweet: Arron Banks & Andy Wigmore, Nigel Farage’s LeaveEU financier and comms dir, appear before House of Commons select committee to discuss some light treason. parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/46…
2/ Wigmore proposes that @DamianCollins recuse since he accepted tix to a Chelsea football match. They laugh it off as a joke, given no inducements, offers, honey pots.
3/ Bannon, Kaiser, Cambridge Analytica, Robert Mercer intros and contacts are right up front. Discussed the CA pitch and their intent to use it, had they been selected as the official referendum campaign by Election Commission. They weren’t so insist they didn’t become CA client.
4/ Banks takes pot shots at Kaiser and Wylie, especially Kaiser’s launch of a cryptocurrency business the day after her @CommonsCMS evidence session. (Just noticed that @carolecadwalla has just arrived in the audience seating.)
5/ Banks and Wigmore parrots Nix’s own downplaying of CA as a mere “ad agency” that did politics “on the side” with a healthy dose of psychographic profiling skepticism while touting benefits and their own skills at microtargeting.
6/ Collins ask about CA’s proposed integration of data integration to save costs and how Wigmore and Banks touted CA on twitter and their book, followed by their mutual distancing. Matheson asks about UKIP data given to CA for testing, unpaid invoice, the Mercer/Bannon support.
7/ Wigmore says being an exaggerator as his job. “Does that mean using fake news?” Banks says parliament is the biggest source of fake news in the country. “Alternative methods” to attack journalists. “Not about facts, but emotions” advice via Gunster.
8/ Matheson asks about Wigmore’s statement on actuaries and data analytics and all the exaggerations. Pow asks about Banks’ complex business structures, who responds by jabbing that MPs couldn’t understand. £77m from ICS Holdings to prop up Southern Rock?
9/ Pow asks about Companies House requiring more accounts disclosures from ICS. Little diddle on source of £77m…haven’t got to Russia yet. Giggle giggle.
10/ Pow asks why Rock Services delivered loan to Better For The Country but they appealed Electoral Commission decision this morning so they have to leave it dangling for now. Banks whines about folks mentioning the various names of his web of subdivisions, various spellings.
11/ Lucas asks another financial affairs question over Gibraltar regulator on insolvency and suddenly Banks shut down. It’s getting tense. Banks seems terrified of Lucas line of questions. Assails committee. Lucas reminds Banks is biggest political donor in British history.
12/ Wigmore says he instigated to meeting with Russian Ambassador in hindsight. Banks drop a trumpist “witch hunt” pot shot. Banks acknowledges if he hadn’t won Brexit, he wouldn’t have been invited for ambassador lunch.
13/ Lucas asks about unpaid UKIP Cambridge Analytica invoice. Why didn’t invoice get paid? Just didn’t want to. Lucas asks about AIQ and its relationship with Vote Leave, use of data and social media, how insurance marketing techniques adapted for LeaveEU.
14/ Lucas focuses on use of data for political targeting and where did social media personnel come from? Banks comments on finding pressure points to get virality. Wigmore on how Trump being outrageous to absorb attention was a parallel method.
15/ Banks describes how they focused on immigration and pushed Vote Leave, and how Trump also channeled immigration to agitate, staying ruthlessly on message.
16/ @carolecadwalla acknowledged with a friendly “hellooo” and her Subject Access Request on insurance comparison data. Kaiser’s claims on Mississippi being contested. Wigmore fields use of insurance marketing for where Farage campaigns. Appeal makes responses limited.
17/ Banks asked if breakup of rest of EU is good for Britain. Doesn’t answer but predicts global shakeup as good. Banks discussing giving phone numbers of Trump campaign to Russian, chaos of visit at Trump Tower, gathering phone numbers.
18/ Who are Big Data Dolphins? Gov of Mississippi proposes to Banks to start a Fintech analytics unit at Ole Miss for insurance business. Nothing happening at Ole Miss yet Wigmore claimed he mixed up operation in Bristol in prior statement.
19/ Banks asked about their intent to scrape Facebook data for insurance. Repeating pattern: they seek and consider extralegal proposals but for one reason or another don’t fully follow thru. Banks claims this is normal. (Why do they propose malfeasance in the first place?)
20/ Emma Briant’s Wigmore interview recordings that appeared to corroborate Kaiser’s statement delivered weeks before committee, published after recesss. Banks continues to whine about having opponents such as journalists and counter-campaigns.
21/ Pow asks about domain registered and changed for Labor Leave by an Eldon Insurance employee despite Banks’ claims there were no borrowing of staff.
22/ Banks exploits Kaiser’s business venture to discredit her and taint her motivations, yet presented as a whistleblower. Disputes Kaiser’s accounts of visiting Eldon call center working on LeaveEU. Banks can’t resist remarking on Wylie’s hair and adornments to discredit him.
23/ Wigmore asked for his opinion on Cambridge Analytica. The usual downplay, just an “ad agency” and everybody does it. Banks plays the Obama pioneered it card. Acknowledges CA involved in nefarious activities in elections around the world. [vote break]
Here’s Carole’s thread thar highlights the discrepancies. She’s in the room, getting attacked for doing her job, which is strikingly similar to the attacks she endured from Alexander Nix.
24/ Collins asks about Cambridge Analytica invoice settlement issue with UKIP. Banks made donation to pay invoice. Why not just pay CA yourself? (No comments on declaration requirements, perhaps because of Electoral Commission appeal?)
25/ Asked about Russia and gold mines. Banks brought his passports, plural (like Manafort…but tells a bizarre story of his Russian wife stealing his passport to block a trip of his) offers committee to copy visas and his calendar.
26/ Wigmore claims he joked with reporters about Banks being in Moscow. Wigmore asked difference between being provocative and lying, problematic nature of comms dir being loose with facts for jokes. Business deals in Russia?
27/ Wigmore discusses Atlantic Council report cataloging Banks and others as Russian agents. Wigmore discusses engaging with US Embassy and submitting his redacted emails to committee in a goofy envelope marked top secret.
28/ (I’m noting how Banks and Wigmore exude such a positive opinion about Russia, seemingly no concerns about Crimea, Ukraine, Skirpal, MH17, attacks on elections…). Wigmore talking about his dad, Berlin, Soviets, cold war. “Wasn’t this witch hunt toward Russian state”
29/ Collins asked of George Cottrell’s FBI arrest, as they were there. Matheson asks Wigmore how he balances loyalties between Belize and UK thru Commonwealth. Any brushes with Russian organized crime?
30/ Banks whines about corrections being made in newspapers after Wigmore justifying their joking and teasing. They are leaving the committee before it’s over to go lunch! OMG.
/FIN Well Banks and Wigmore end the session in a stunning disrespect for parliament with questions left unanswered.
