Nigel Farage denies being 'person of interest' in FBI probe into Donald Trump and Russia
Nigel Farage has responded to a newspaper report claiming he is a "person of interest" in the FBI's investigation into Donald Trump and Russia, as "hysterical" and "fake news".
The former Ukip leader has "raised the interest" of FBI investigators because of his relationships with individuals connected to both the Trump campaign and Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, the Guardian reported.
Its source said he has not been accused of any wrongdoing and is not a suspect or target of the US investigation.
The 53-year-old called the claims "extremely doubtful" because he has "no connections" to the country.
In an interview with ITV News, he swiftly rebuffed the report and said: "If ever you saw an example of fake news, this is it.
"It is total hysteria from a liberal media that cannot accept Brexit or the election of Trump.
"They're looking for an excuse. I have never been to Russia. I've never done business in Russia. I have no political connections in Russia whatsoever."
"Yes of course I do know and support Donald Trump, but frankly this thing is total and utter hysterical nonsense."
Mr Farage also said he met WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange "with a view to conducting an interview".
He said: "I did once meet Julian Assange. I did it because I do a show for LBC - they organised for me to go and meet him with a view to doing an interview."
When asked about the report, a Ukip spokesman said: "This is absurd, truly absurd."
The newspaper quoted a source as saying: "One of the things the intelligence investigators have been looking at is points of contact and persons involved.
"If you triangulate Russia, WikiLeaks, Assange and Trump associates, the person who comes up with the most hits is Nigel Farage.
"He's right in the middle of these relationships. He turns up over and over again. There's a lot of attention being paid to him."
Mr Farage has denied being contacted by the FBI but said he would contact them if required.
"If there is an investigation... they would cast the net very wide.
"They wouldn't cast it to me because I have no Russian connections."