British lobbyists funded $1M pro-Ukraine campaign targeting top US Republicans

LONDON — A senior British lobbyist helped orchestrate a campaign pressuring top U.S. Republicans and the Biden administration to give more military support to Ukraine in the run-up to the presidential election.

Jim Murphy, a former British minister whose firm Arden Strategies enjoys close ties to the governing Labour Party, served as the director of a U.K. company that transferred almost a million dollars to a U.S. non-profit which then ran a major pro-Ukraine campaign, according to POLITICO’s analysis of transparency documents.

The campaign — Freedom at Home and Abroad — ran punchy adverts targeting senior U.S. Republicans including Senator Rand Paul and Rep. Lauren Boebert. In one hit, Republican vice-presidential hopeful JD Vance was likened to a “Russian doll.”

The group’s activities come amid a simmering transatlantic row over the role of British political figures in the U.S. election. That came to a head last month when Donald Trump’s campaign accused the U.K. Labour Party of election meddling by sending volunteers door-knocking for his Democratic presidential rival Kamala Harris.

The pro-Ukraine campaign’s structure is detailed in filings with authorities on both sides of the Atlantic.

There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by either the company or campaign, which has stressed its compliance with the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

A spokesperson for Arden said: “We are proud of the vital work that the Campaign for Freedom undertook in support of Ukraine.

“The campaign was funded entirely by individual philanthropists who had no commercial interest in Ukraine, but who wanted to do their bit by standing up to Russia’s aggression. 

“The six-month campaign was aimed at maintaining public support for Ukraine in a range of countries in Europe and Africa, as well as the U.S. The U.S. campaign structure was rightly designed and guided by the FARA regulations in everything that it did.”

Campaign takes shape

The two-pronged campaign first took shape in summer 2023, according to documents filed with Companies House, Britain’s corporate transparency register. 

That was a time of intense debate in the U.S. Republican party about continued support for Ukraine, and pressure on the Biden administration to do more to help deter Russian’s full-scale invasion.

The British-based company — named Campaign for Freedom Ltd — was set up in June 2023 by George McGregor, an associate director at the Westminster-based lobbying outfit Arden Strategies. It was established as a separate entity to Arden, but included key figures from the well-connected British firm.

A week later in the U.S, a new group called Freedom at Home and Abroad Inc registered with the authorities.

Freedom at Home and Abroad said in its filing it would campaign for ongoing U.S. aid to Ukraine on behalf of the British company, “which funds activities to advance freedom and self-governance around the world.”

The total sum provided by the British company to the U.S. campaign was $954,570, according to a document filed under FARA, which requires “agents of foreign principals” to register any political activity taking place in the U.S. 

Murphy was appointed as a director of the British company around a month after it was established, in July 2023, alongside veteran Labour strategist Blair McDougall, who is now a Labour member of parliament.

The campaign then embarked on a flurry of activity to make the case for a ramp up in Ukraine support.

In early August, it boasted in a press release of a six-figure media spend — including a 30-second ad slot during Fox News Sunday, a mainstay of the conservative network. 

In October, the group paid to display on the lawn outside the Capitol in Washington a series of signs depicting senior Republican figures skeptical about further aid to Ukraine — including vice-presidential candidate Vance and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene — as Russian dolls, alongside the text: “Support Ukraine. Stop Russia. Stop China.”

In a post on X from a since deleted account, the campaign branded Taylor Greene a “darling of Russian state media” who “regularly parrots Russian propaganda.” Other posts from the campaign accused GOP lawmakers opposed to Ukraine aid of “siding with the interests of Russia and China” and warned they would “surrender to the spread of authoritarianism.”

A press release from the group claimed: “The infighting in the Republican conference is actively harming our ally Ukraine, and actively helping our adversaries China and Russia. Ukraine’s fight for freedom helps protect us against Russia and China. Republicans must put their differences aside and protect Americans by supporting Ukraine.”

White House targeted

The campaign also sought to pile pressure on the Biden administration to supply Ukraine with more U.S. weapons. 

One social media advert paid for by the group promoted a petition calling on President Biden to authorize the sending of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.

A FARA transparency filing shows the group called for the provision of “American-made” ATACMS long-range missile systems, adding: “ATACMS mean jobs for American workers and freedom for Ukraine.” It suggested “weakness” from U.S lawmakers would embolden China.

“China’s communist party has a plan — they want to spread Chinese government-style control across the globe,” the campaign stated in an advertorial placed with the right-wing outlet Newsmax. “The first battles are happening in Ukraine right now.”

‘Months in the making’

Documents from Companies House show the Campaign for Freedom Ltd was closed in June 2024, less than a year after it was created. 

Freedom at Home and Abroad’s social media accounts have since either been deleted or closed. Its website is now password protected.

FARA registration documents state that the Campaign for Freedom Ltd received funding from “foreign private citizens unrelated to any foreign government or political party.” Individual breakdowns of donors are not publicly available.

Murphy’s involvement in the campaign has remained relatively low-key. He promoted a video from the campaign in August 2023 in a post on X, stating it was “months in the making and raising the money.”

Arden has garnered a reputation as a leading power player with the U.K.’s new Labour administration. It has built up goodwill with party figures by helping to run business events and put on fundraisers for candidates ahead of Labour’s landslide victory in July.

The outfit started out as a small election strategy shop in 2017, and has since pitched itself as helping to bridge the gap between Labour and business.

The Arden spokesperson added: “We were honored that the Campaign for Freedom was able to play its small part in backing the people of Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.”