Four Charged in Labour Database Manipulation Probe

Four individuals linked to the UK's Labour Party have been charged with conspiracy and computer misuse offenses after an investigation into allegations of manipulating a party database to favor a candidate's selection in the Croydon East constituency.

The Metropolitan Police announced that the Crown Prosecution Service authorized the charges following a probe by its cybercrime unit. The accused include Joel Bodmer, 40, from Croydon; Shila Bodmer, 41, also from Croydon; Carole Bonner, 69, from Croydon; and Gabriel Leroy, 24, from Southwark. All four face charges under Section 11 of the Criminal Law Act 1977 for conspiracy to commit an offense and Section 3 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990 for unauthorized acts intended to impair computer operations. Joel Bodmer faces an additional charge of perverting the course of justice related to allegedly altering phone records.

The allegations stem from the Labour Party's candidate selection process for Croydon East, a new south London constituency ahead of the 2024 general election. Prosecutors claim that phone numbers and email addresses of party members were altered in the database, preventing some prospective candidates from contacting...