Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, demanded to know when Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, first became aware of the information. He also asked when Truss was informed and whether Fulbrook had disclosed his connection to the investigation before taking the job. Rayner said she was writing to Case because Truss did not yet have an independent adviser on the interests of ministers after the last incumbent, Christopher Geidt, resigned in June. Boris Johnson did not replace him and Mr Truss said he may be relieved of the role of ethics adviser. Truss threw her full support behind Fulbrook after it was revealed he was being questioned as a witness in an FBI investigation into alleged bribery in Puerto Rico. She declined to say whether she was informed of his cooperation with the FBI before his appointment, saying only that he had gone through the “due process.” In her letter to Case, Rayner said Fullbrook’s links to the matter, first reported by the Sunday Times, were “incredibly disturbing revelations about which the public would rightly want clarification”. The allegations “once again raise questions about the ethics, values and basic standards of decency of this administration,” Reiner wrote. “In the interest of transparency and out of respect for our democratic institutions, I urge you to clarify when you first became aware of these allegations. Importantly, at what stage was this knowledge shared with the prime minister? Were any statements made by Mr. Fullbrook about his involvement in this investigation when he took over as Chief of Staff?’ The FBI probe is related to allegations that Julio Herrera Velutini, a Tory financier and donor, promised to help the former governor of Puerto Rico get re-elected if she fired an employee investigating a bank owned there. He has denied the charges against him. A spokesman for Fullbrook said: “As has been made clear on several occasions, Mr Fullbrook is bound by and complies with all laws and regulations in any jurisdiction in which he works and is confident that he has done so in this matter. “Indeed, Mark Fullbrook is a witness in this matter and has fully, fully and voluntarily cooperated with the US authorities in this matter, as he always would in any circumstance in which his assistance is requested by the authorities. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. “The work was undertaken only by Mr. Herrera and only to conduct an opinion survey for him and no one else. “Mr. Fullbrook never did any work for the governor or her campaign, nor did he present any investigative findings. Since then there has been no engagement. Mr. Fullbrook understands that there are active legal proceedings against other individuals and entities. Therefore, it would not be appropriate to comment further.”
