Thread by @thetimes

The Aspinall Foundation, a charity that employs Carrie Johnson, paid more than £150,000 to its chairman’s wife for “interior design services” – equal to 10% of the organisation’s total income from donations in 2020
thetimes.co.uk/article/aspina…

The foundation and its sister charity, the Howletts Wild Animal Trust, are under investigation by the Charity Commission over their spending and financial management

Specifically, the commission is looking into payments made to Damian Aspinall – the chairman – and members of his family

One of those is a £12,500 payment to Aspinall’s wife, Victoria, for interior design services in 2019

However, recently filed accounts show that her fees rose 12-fold last year to £150,158

The payment is said to have been made before Johnson, the prime minister’s wife, took up her role in January

She is employed as a senior member of the charity’s communication team, receiving a “medium to high five-figure salary”
thetimes.co.uk/article/carrie…

The accounts also reveal that the charity owns large reserves of cash, property, and art. Its collection of fine art is worth more than £3 million

During the pandemic, Aspinall trustees secured a Covid business interruption loan of £2 million
thetimes.co.uk/article/aspina…