The Head of Operations for the United Kingdom’s left wing Labour Party confirmed in multiple posts to social media that she recruited nearly 100 foreign nationals to travel to the United States and campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris in the final months prior to Election Day.
Sofia Patel, the Head of Operations for the Labour Party, wrote in a post to the professional networking platform LinkedIn on Wednesday she successfully arranged for “nearly 100” past and present Labour Party activists to travel to North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, in a post where she revealed more opportunities were available.
“I have 10 spots available for anyone available to head to the battleground state of North Carolina – we will sort your housing,” wrote Patel to LinkedIn.
This is the second post by Patel revealing Labour Party plans to travel to the United States and campaign for Harris, after she wrote in September, “I’m planning a trip for Labour Party staff to help our friends across the pond elect their first female President.”
Patel confirmed, “If you worked for the Labour Party during the General Election, have now left, but are interested, please drop me an email on my work email address.”
Robby Starbuck, who broke news of Patel’s statements on Thursday, noted to The Michael Patrick Leahy Show the Labour Party recently won the elections in the United Kingdom, which made its leader, Kier Starmer, the nation’s first Labour prime minister since 2010.
Starbuck told Michael Patrick Leahy, the editor-in-chief of The Tennessee Star, the Labour Party activists are “clearly” coordinating with the Harris campaign, and compared the foreign influence to unfounded allegations former President Donald Trump colluded with Russia during the 2016 election.
“How many years, and how much ink was wasted in media, talking about a Russia collusion that never occurred in order to help Trump win an election?” Starbuck told Leahy, “We’ve got a situation now where the Democrats, Kamala Harris, they openly have a foreign government’s ruling party coming to the U.S. with boots on the ground to campaign for her in battleground states.”
Starbuck added, “That is the definition of election interference, that is the definition of collusion.”
Huge: The UK’s far left Labour Party has been organizing FOR MONTHS to come to America to campaign for Kamala. This is foreign election interference. Their head of operations who has been a lead planner for Prime Minister Keir Starmer is in charge of this operation.
As you can… pic.twitter.com/IU0Sa4ztOB
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) October 17, 2024
The Star contacted Patel on to confirm she arranged for nearly 100 citizens of the United Kingdom to campaign for Harris in battleground states, and to ask with whom she coordinated at the Harris campaign, but did not receive an immediate response.
While Patel did not respond, GBNews reported on Thursday that while Labour Party activists are using personal funds to cover their travel expenses to the United States, “accommodation is being arranged by volunteers campaigning for the Democrats.”
Patel (pictured above, right) appears to be a long-time supporter of Democrats in the United States, as evidenced by an undated photograph featuring her with President Joe Biden uploaded to her account on the social media platform X, where Patel has since protected her posts.
It is not clear if the Labour Party activists or their Democratic hosts are violating any election law, however, Section 30121.a from Title 52 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 specifically prohibits foreign nationals from interfering in U.S. elections by contributing money directly or indirectly, either to a candidate or political party.
Additionally, it prohibits foreign nationals from making “an expenditure, independent expenditure, or disbursement for an electioneering communication.”
Though Starbuck broke the news of British citizens campaigning for Harris in battleground states this week, members of the Labour Party have reportedly advised Harris since shortly after Starmer’s victory in August.
In September it was reported by German-owned Politico that Starmer’s top adviser, Deborah Mattinson, briefed Harris on a winning electoral strategy in September.
Watch Starbuck’s appearance on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show:
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Sofia Patel with Joe Biden” by Sofia Patel.
