Key facts
- Anthony Lee, former director of campaigning for the Conservative Party, admitted cheating at gambling.
- Laura Saunders, Lee's wife and a Conservative candidate, admitted cheating at gambling.
- The bets were placed on the date of the 2024 general election.
- Lee passed confidential information to Saunders.
- The couple appeared at Southwark Crown Court.
- Sentencing for Lee and Saunders is scheduled for October 23.
Anthony Lee, the Conservative Party's former director of campaigning, and his wife Laura Saunders have admitted cheating at gambling by placing bets on the date of the 2024 general election. The couple appeared at Southwark Crown Court via videolink and pleaded guilty to the charges.
Lee, 49, admitted two charges of cheating, including passing confidential information to his wife, Laura Saunders, 38. Saunders, who was the Conservative candidate for Bristol North West and head of international at Conservative Party HQ, admitted one charge of cheating based on that information between March 10, 2024, and May 21, 2024.
They are among 15 individuals charged following an investigation by the Gambling Commission. Their pleas follow similar admissions by former Tory MP Craig Williams and Amy Hind, the wife of a former Conservative deputy digital director. Sentencing for Lee and Saunders is scheduled for October 23, while Williams will be sentenced at a later date after other trials.
Twelve other defendants have denied the allegations and their first trial is due to begin on September 6, 2027. All defendants remain on unconditional bail.