Troubleshooters sent into wildlife charity linked to Carrie Johnson
The Independent
Troubleshooters have been sent in to investigate a charity linked to Boris Johnson's wife following claims that its funds were used improperly by the multimillionaire socialite who runs it. The Charity Commission has appointed a team of high-powered legal experts to act as interim managers and take over key decision-making at the Aspinall Foundation, run by former casino owner Damian Aspinall. According to the watchdog's code of conduct, interim managers are imposed on a charity when it believes there has been 'mismanagement and/or misconduct'. It defines misconduct as any 'criminal, unlawful or improper' act.
The Aspinall Foundation is a global conservation group that releases zoo animals back into the wild, working with its sister charity the Howletts Wild Animal Trust, which runs two wildlife parks in Kent. Both charities have been under the Charity Commission's spotlight for five years, with a statutory inquiry launched in 2021. Its latest decision to send troubleshooters into the Aspinall Foundation over 'fresh issues of concern' marks a major tightening of the screw. Carrie Johnson was recruited by the Aspinall Foundation in January 2021 to a senior communications role on an estimated 'high five-figure salary' when her partner Johnson, whom she married in May that year, was prime minister.
Johnson has been one of the charity's highest-profile cheerleaders. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by either of the Johnsons. The allegations against the Aspinall Foundation include allowing its chair, Aspinall, to rent its headquarters, Howletts House — a neo-Palladian, 30-bedroom mansion in Kent, set in a 90-acre estate — for £2,500 a month, equivalent to the cost of renting a house in nearby Canterbury. The rent was increased to £10,000 a month after a revaluation. Other allegations include paying £150,000 to Aspinall's wife, Victoria, for 'interior design', as well as making loans to Aspinall. In 2019, he reportedly owed the foundation £113,000.
Allegations against the Howletts Wild Animal Trust include paying Aspinall's step mother Lady Sarah Aspinall a £30,000-a-year pension for 'gardening services'. In a statement to The Independent, the Charity Commission said: 'Our inquiry into the Aspinall Foundation is ongoing. Towards the end of last year, fresh issues of concern were identified requiring us to embark on a further phase of investigation, and our investigators are working hard to pursue these at pace. 'The commission has now appointed interim managers to the Aspinall Foundation, who will work alongside the existing trustees on specific areas in line with the charity's governing document.'
The Charity Commission only imposes interim managers on a charity 'if it is satisfied that there has been misconduct and/or mismanagement' and it is considered 'necessary to protect the charity's property'. Misconduct 'includes any act that the person committing it knew — or ought to have known — was criminal, unlawful or improper'.
Mismanagement is defined as 'any act that may result in charitable resources being misused — or the people who benefit from the charity being put at risk'. The Charity Commission troubleshooters have been tasked with making any decisions that cannot be made by the trustees because of 'a conflict of interest', and with 'reviewing the make-up of the board of trustees'.
Crucially, they have also been ordered to find out whether any of the trustees — or their family members — 'received a direct or indirect benefit from the charity'. Aspinall's daughter Tansy is a trustee of both the Aspinall Foundation and Howletts Wild Animal Trust.
Multimillionaire and Conservative peer Zac Goldsmith, a former minister and a close friend of Aspinall and both the Johnsons, was an Aspinall trustee until August 2019. Lord Goldsmith's brother Ben, a Tory donor who was given an advisory post in Johnson's government, was also an Aspinall Foundation trustee. Both left before the Charity Commission launched any inquiries.
A spokesperson for the Aspinall Foundation said: 'We welcome the inquiry by the Charity Commission and will continue to work with them transparently, but until that has concluded we are unable to comment further to press.' A spokesperson for the Howletts Wild Animal Trust said: 'With the Charity Commission's inquiry ongoing, we are unable to comment further.' Carrie Johnson could not be contacted. The Aspinall Foundation declined to say whether she is still an employee.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Middle East Eye
a day ago
- Middle East Eye
US speaker Mike Johnson visits Ariel settlement as violence against Palestinians soars
Republican House speaker Mike Johnson visited an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank on Monday, just weeks after the Israeli Knesset passed a resolution supporting the annexation of the region amid an escalation in state and settler violence towards the Palestinians. Johnson's visit to the settlement of Ariel, near Ramallah, was part of a private trip to Israel organised by the pro-Israel advocacy group, the US Israel Education Association, according to Axios, which cited Israeli officials. His visit makes him the most senior US politician to visit an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank. Settlements are illegal under international law. During Johnson's visit to Ariel, The Jerusalem Post quoted him as saying, 'Judea and Samaria are the front lines of the state of Israel and must remain an integral part of it.' Johnson used a biblical name for the West Bank and reportedly said he would work to promote the use of the term "Judea and Samaria" at the federal level. Johnson's visit comes as two million people are facing starvation in the Gaza Strip under Israel's control. After partially lifting a devastating blockade, Israel is now allowing a minimal amount of food, medicine, water, and fuel into the enclave. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Meanwhile, more than 1,000 people have been killed while seeking aid at the controversial Israeli- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's (GHF) distribution sites, according to the United Nations. Axios reported that Johnson and his delegation were expected to visit GHF distribution centres in Gaza. The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned Johnson's 'inflammatory' comments endorsing annexation as a 'blatant violation of international law' on Monday. The ministry also characterised his statements as 'provocative incitement that encourages settler crimes and land confiscation', saying his visit undermines Arab and US efforts to stop the war. In a statement on X, it said the speaker's stance is an 'encouragement of settler crimes, settlers' actions, and the confiscation of Palestinian lands, in clear contradiction with the declared US position regarding settlements and settlers' attacks'. Reaffirming that 'all settlement activity is illegal', the ministry said that Israel's settlement expansion 'destroys any remaining chance for a two-state solution' and peace. Johnson's trip was hailed as evidence of 'unwavering support and moral clarity in standing with Israel against its enemies' in a post on X by Israel's defence minister, Israel Katz. The US State Department referred Middle East Eye to Johnson's office for comment on the US's position on Israeli settlement building and expansion. Johnson's office had not provided comment by the time of publication. Support for settlement expansion Johnson is visiting Israel with fellow Republican representatives Michael McCaul, Nathaniel Moran, Michael Cloud, and Claudia Tenney. Tenney introduced in January the "Recognizing Judea and Samaria Act" to require that all official US documents and materials use the terms "Judea and Samaria" instead of the "West Bank". She also founded the Friends of Judea and Samaria caucus. Palestinian activist who worked on Oscar-winning film 'No Other Land' killed in occupied West Bank Read More » The caucus is a group of Congress members 'committed to raising awareness and support for the historical, strategic, and cultural importance of Judea and Samaria', according to a statement on Tenney's website. Settlers have long harboured ambitions of emptying the occupied West Bank of its Palestinian population. For years, this aspiration was broadly understood, even among settlers themselves, as an unattainable fantasy. However, the near-total destruction of Gaza and the growing perception that the ethnic cleansing of the Gaza Strip has, at least semi-explicitly, become one of the war aims of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have emboldened settler groups to believe that such a scenario might now be possible. Ethnic cleansing in the occupied West Bank would, however, present far greater logistical and political challenges than in Gaza. Unlike Gaza, it features a more intertwined population of Palestinians and settlers. Some of the methods currently employed by the Israeli military in Gaza appear to be gradually making their way to the occupied West Bank, albeit on a smaller scale. In recent months, large sections of the Tulkarm and Jenin refugee camps, along with other areas, have been bulldozed, and hundreds of homes have been demolished by Israeli forces. The images emerging from these sites increasingly resemble those coming out of Gaza. Even if the occupied West Bank is not yet experiencing a full replication of the Gaza campaign, what is unfolding may well be seen as preparation for a more extensive effort by settler militias and their backers in government to 'clear' key areas of Palestinians, critics say. The Israeli human rights group B'Tselem and the United Nations office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs documented more than 1,200 incidents of violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in 2024 alone, an average of three attacks per day, according to a UN report published in December 2024.
Gulf Today
3 days ago
- Gulf Today
Troubleshooters sent into wildlife charity linked to Carrie Johnson
Simon Walters, The Independent Troubleshooters have been sent in to investigate a charity linked to Boris Johnson's wife following claims that its funds were used improperly by the multimillionaire socialite who runs it. The Charity Commission has appointed a team of high-powered legal experts to act as interim managers and take over key decision-making at the Aspinall Foundation, run by former casino owner Damian Aspinall. According to the watchdog's code of conduct, interim managers are imposed on a charity when it believes there has been 'mismanagement and/or misconduct'. It defines misconduct as any 'criminal, unlawful or improper' act. The Aspinall Foundation is a global conservation group that releases zoo animals back into the wild, working with its sister charity the Howletts Wild Animal Trust, which runs two wildlife parks in Kent. Both charities have been under the Charity Commission's spotlight for five years, with a statutory inquiry launched in 2021. Its latest decision to send troubleshooters into the Aspinall Foundation over 'fresh issues of concern' marks a major tightening of the screw. Carrie Johnson was recruited by the Aspinall Foundation in January 2021 to a senior communications role on an estimated 'high five-figure salary' when her partner Johnson, whom she married in May that year, was prime minister. Johnson has been one of the charity's highest-profile cheerleaders. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by either of the Johnsons. The allegations against the Aspinall Foundation include allowing its chair, Aspinall, to rent its headquarters, Howletts House — a neo-Palladian, 30-bedroom mansion in Kent, set in a 90-acre estate — for £2,500 a month, equivalent to the cost of renting a house in nearby Canterbury. The rent was increased to £10,000 a month after a revaluation. Other allegations include paying £150,000 to Aspinall's wife, Victoria, for 'interior design', as well as making loans to Aspinall. In 2019, he reportedly owed the foundation £113,000. Allegations against the Howletts Wild Animal Trust include paying Aspinall's step mother Lady Sarah Aspinall a £30,000-a-year pension for 'gardening services'. In a statement to The Independent, the Charity Commission said: 'Our inquiry into the Aspinall Foundation is ongoing. Towards the end of last year, fresh issues of concern were identified requiring us to embark on a further phase of investigation, and our investigators are working hard to pursue these at pace. 'The commission has now appointed interim managers to the Aspinall Foundation, who will work alongside the existing trustees on specific areas in line with the charity's governing document.' The Charity Commission only imposes interim managers on a charity 'if it is satisfied that there has been misconduct and/or mismanagement' and it is considered 'necessary to protect the charity's property'. Misconduct 'includes any act that the person committing it knew — or ought to have known — was criminal, unlawful or improper'. Mismanagement is defined as 'any act that may result in charitable resources being misused — or the people who benefit from the charity being put at risk'. The Charity Commission troubleshooters have been tasked with making any decisions that cannot be made by the trustees because of 'a conflict of interest', and with 'reviewing the make-up of the board of trustees'. Crucially, they have also been ordered to find out whether any of the trustees — or their family members — 'received a direct or indirect benefit from the charity'. Aspinall's daughter Tansy is a trustee of both the Aspinall Foundation and Howletts Wild Animal Trust. Multimillionaire and Conservative peer Zac Goldsmith, a former minister and a close friend of Aspinall and both the Johnsons, was an Aspinall trustee until August 2019. Lord Goldsmith's brother Ben, a Tory donor who was given an advisory post in Johnson's government, was also an Aspinall Foundation trustee. Both left before the Charity Commission launched any inquiries. A spokesperson for the Aspinall Foundation said: 'We welcome the inquiry by the Charity Commission and will continue to work with them transparently, but until that has concluded we are unable to comment further to press.' A spokesperson for the Howletts Wild Animal Trust said: 'With the Charity Commission's inquiry ongoing, we are unable to comment further.' Carrie Johnson could not be contacted. The Aspinall Foundation declined to say whether she is still an employee.
Gulf Today
5 days ago
- Gulf Today
Trapped Ukrainian soldier escapes on e-bike delivered by drone
An injured Ukrainian soldier stuck behind enemy lines for days was rescued after being delivered an e-bike by a drone. A video of the dramatic rescue showed a UAV drone airdropping the 40kg bike down to the wounded man, who was surrounded by Russian forces, before he cycled away. The soldier's Rubizh brigade said three men were killed by enemy fire during a skirmish in Siversk, northern Ukraine, leaving the soldier on his own for five days. In a video the soldier, call sign 'Tanker', said: 'Our drones covered us from above as best as they could. Then they threw two gas cylinders straight into our hole and a lighter. We caught fire. 'Every day, I was surrounded, from all sides. I fought back as best I could.' Brigade commander Mykola Hrytsenko explained the challenges they faced in trying to rescue their stranded comrade. 'The enemy was in front, behind, and on both flanks, completely surrounded,' the commander said. 'It was impossible to drive up with equipment because the enemy was everywhere. He couldn't get out on his own either, because he had to walk 1.5km to the nearest position. 'In his condition, with his injuries, he simply wouldn't have made it.' The bike was lowered to the wounded soldier so he could make his escape The bike was lowered to the wounded soldier so he could make his escape (Rubizh Brigade) The brigade then came up with the bold plan to deliver a vehicle to him by drone. The first two attempts to fly the bike in failed, with Russian forces shooting the first out of the sky and the second crashing. They managed to get the bike to the soldier on the third attempt – but his ordeal was not over yet. After fleeing 400m, he hit a remote mine. Tank limped a further 200m with a leg injury before he was rescued. A second e-bike was then delivered, which he rode for 15 minutes to an evacuation point. 'To carry out this operation, they had to calculate the right time of day, the right weather conditions that would allow him to do it,' Cdr Hrytsenko added. The soldier fled around 400m on an e-bike delivered by drone, before hitting a mine and limping the rest of the way The soldier fled around 400m on an e-bike delivered by drone, before hitting a mine and limping the rest of the way (YouTube/Rubizh Brigade) Reports of the rescue effort emerged after Vladimir Putin's forces launched a wave of missile attacks on the capital Kyiv in the early hours of Thursday, killing 16 people, including a six-year-old boy and his mother. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky urged his allies to bring about 'regime change' in Russia following the attack. 'If the world doesn't aim to change the regime in Russia, that means even after the war ends, Moscow will still try to destabilise neighbouring countries,' he said. 'Today the world has once again seen Russia's response to our desire for peace ... Therefore, peace without strength is impossible,' the Ukrainian president added. The Independent
