Courtney Coventry
Encyclopedia
Courtney Coventry is a socialite and actress currently living in the United States. Her maiden name is Courtney Halford; the IMDB credits her under this name for two productions.http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1468812/
Coventry gained media attention as a result of the Cash for Honours investigation in the UK in June 2007 . The Cash for Honours Investigation also known as Operation “Ribble” is the investigation concerning the connection between political donations and the award of life peerages.
Coventry was considered a valuable witness after meeting with Labour Chief fundraiser Lord Michael Levy
and then Prime Minister Tony Blair on more than one occasion regarding substantial donations to the party. She was flown to UK by the Metropolitan Police
at British taxpayers' expense on the day before Tony Blair
was to resign from office, 26 June 2007 where she was met at London's Heathrow Airport by plainclothes police escorts. Several British newspapers including the Daily Telegraph printed stories the following day concerning Coventry's visit to the UK.
On 20 July 2007, the Crown Prosecution Service
stated that it would not bring any charges against any of the individuals involved. Their decision stated that while peerages may have been given in exchange for loans, it could not find direct evidence that that had been agreed in advance; this direct evidence of an agreement in advance is what would be required for a successful prosecution. Notwithstanding the lack of any charges, members of the Labour party considered that the investigation had severely undermined Tony Blair's position, and possibly hastened his resignation as Prime Minister. However, the British Parliament Select Committee investigated this further in October 2007.
After several versions of Coventry's visit and statement were printed, she published her statement as well as evidence correcting several discrepancies that were printed on her website.
While the British Parliament select committee considered the evidence of the accusations that the Labour Government had been accepting donations for Honours,under the Chairmanship of Labour Mr.Wright MP,the Select Committee decided only to call the investigating Police officers and none of the witness's including, Tony Blair,Lord Levy or Courtney Coventry where called to give evidence.
Coventry gained media attention as a result of the Cash for Honours investigation in the UK in June 2007 . The Cash for Honours Investigation also known as Operation “Ribble” is the investigation concerning the connection between political donations and the award of life peerages.
Coventry was considered a valuable witness after meeting with Labour Chief fundraiser Lord Michael Levy
Michael Levy, Baron Levy
Michael Abraham Levy, Baron Levy, is President of Community Service Volunteers Jewish Care, Jewish Free School and Jewish Lads' and Girls' Brigade ....
and then Prime Minister Tony Blair on more than one occasion regarding substantial donations to the party. She was flown to UK by the Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
at British taxpayers' expense on the day before Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
was to resign from office, 26 June 2007 where she was met at London's Heathrow Airport by plainclothes police escorts. Several British newspapers including the Daily Telegraph printed stories the following day concerning Coventry's visit to the UK.
On 20 July 2007, the Crown Prosecution Service
Crown Prosecution Service
The Crown Prosecution Service, or CPS, is a non-ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for public prosecutions of people charged with criminal offences in England and Wales. Its role is similar to that of the longer-established Crown Office in Scotland, and the...
stated that it would not bring any charges against any of the individuals involved. Their decision stated that while peerages may have been given in exchange for loans, it could not find direct evidence that that had been agreed in advance; this direct evidence of an agreement in advance is what would be required for a successful prosecution. Notwithstanding the lack of any charges, members of the Labour party considered that the investigation had severely undermined Tony Blair's position, and possibly hastened his resignation as Prime Minister. However, the British Parliament Select Committee investigated this further in October 2007.
After several versions of Coventry's visit and statement were printed, she published her statement as well as evidence correcting several discrepancies that were printed on her website.
While the British Parliament select committee considered the evidence of the accusations that the Labour Government had been accepting donations for Honours,under the Chairmanship of Labour Mr.Wright MP,the Select Committee decided only to call the investigating Police officers and none of the witness's including, Tony Blair,Lord Levy or Courtney Coventry where called to give evidence.