Jim Allister praises BBC documentary for revealing 'amoral lifestyle' of Jeffrey Donaldson
Jim Allister has hit out at the “amoral lifestyle” of Jeffrey Donaldson revealed in the BBC’s new Spotlight documentary about him.
The TUV leader also praised the “rigour” of the BBC’s investigations into the ex-DUP chief’s life.
The show was broadcast at 9pm on Friday following Donaldson’s conviction on Monday for historic child sex crimes, and much of the programme focussed on contrasting Donaldson’s public professions of Christian faith with his behind-the-scenes behaviour.
One former colleague said that he had once seen Donaldson “blindingly drunk” on a trade mission to China in the mid-2000s – so much so that he “projectile vomited over the mayor of Beijing” – while another recalled him drinking “at an alarming rate” in 2012 with a Namibian tribal chief, adding: “Jeffrey wouldn’t behave like that in his constituency.”
The Spotlight show reported that “a number of politicians and staff” had described Donaldson as “falling over drunk and held up by aides” on a 2008 trip to Washington DC, while “sources say” he later sat in an unnamed female MLA’s lap – and Mr Paisley also said he saw Donaldson “trying to kiss her in a restaurant, in a hotel”.
Lord Trimble’s widow Lady Trimble said “there wasn’t much Christianity about the way he [Donaldson] treated David” politically, and that Donaldson had “used his Christianity I believe to hoodwink the public as to who and what he was”.
Spotlight also reported that two senior PSNI officers – former Detective Chief Supterintendent Tim Hanley and a colleague – had observed Donaldson entering a sauna in London that marketed itself as a meeting place for gay men in 2006 – despite the politician referring to homosexuality as “sinful” in the same year.
It also reported that some senior DUP figures were aware of a woman, who was not involved in the recent court case, who had raised concerns about Donaldson’s behaviour but had not wished to make a formal complaint.
Mr Allister said the show’s exposure of Donaldson’s “amoral lifestyle” was “jaw-dropping”.
“The rigour of investigative journalism has aided our democracy by bringing the hidden things of darkness to light,” he said, and questioned how the DUP let “a wholly flawed character take over the leadership”.
The DUP responded that it had “acted swiftly when former member Jeffrey Donaldson was first charged”.
It said: “As a party we believe in the rule of law and that criminal proceedings must take their full course.
"Justice has been served with the guilty verdicts against him.
"The party leader Gavin Robinson MP, deputy leader Michelle McIlveen MLA and party chairman Lord Morrow are deeply concerned by allegations that have surfaced in recent days relating to inappropriate behaviour on behalf of Jeffrey Donaldson, and the indication that some may have had knowledge of inappropriate behaviour but which was never reported to the party officers.
"On Friday, the party leadership commenced the process of commissioning a specialised and detailed independent review into a number of issues arising following the conviction of Jeffrey Donaldson and further details will be announced shortly.”