DIRTY SECRETS

Trump-Linked Political Fundraiser Writes Book on How to Launder Money

George “Posh George” Cottrell pleaded guilty to wire fraud after attending Trump’s 2016 presidential nomination.

A Donald Trump-linked political fundraiser jailed for wire fraud is publishing a book about laundering money.

British aristocrat George Cottrell was arrested leaving the 2016 Republican National Convention, at which Trump clinched the presidential nomination.

He had travelled there with one of the U.K.’s most virulent anti-migrant politicians, Nigel Farage, who is friends with the president and has met Trump in the Oval Office.

The following year, Cottrell—nicknamed “Posh George”—was sentenced to eight months in U.S. jails, having explained to undercover federal agents “ways criminal proceeds could be laundered” on the dark web.

Now the 31-year-old, whose father went to school with Prince Andrew, is planning to play on his notorious reputation as a convicted criminal in a new book, titled How to Launder Money, according to The Sunday Times.

Written in collaboration with a U.S. due diligence specialist, investigator L. Burke Files, and to be published by Biteback Publishing, the outlet reported it is not known “whether Cottrell will address his own brush with the law.”

A LinkedIn post from the book’s editor confirms the manuscript was delivered last month.

In 2017, the Daily Beast reported how the fixer had boasted of laundering expertise on the dark web and traveling with Farage to Ohio, Cleveland, aged just 22.

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The story also flagged Cottrell’s curious online proximity to banks later tied to the “Russian Laundromat” scheme. It noted his LinkedIn interest in entities such as Moldindconbank and FBME—allegations he has not addressed in detail.

Moldindconbank at the time told the Beast it could not disclose personnel data without the employee’s consent.

In a further twist, a cache of emails showed Leave.EU executive Andy Wigmore forwarding U.S. documents about the case to a political officer at the Russian embassy, with the subject line “Fwd Cottrell docs—Eyes Only.” It was one of six attachments sent the day after Cottrell’s first court appearance.

Cottrell has remained close to Farage. His mother, Fiona Cottrell, is a Reform U.K. mega-donor, while disclosures show George picked up the tab for Farage’s £15,000 2024 hop to Florida for a meet-and-greet that included Elon Musk and Trumpworld figures. Reform says Cottrell is an unpaid volunteer.

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Cottrell appears to divide his time between London and Montenegro, where he has been a high-stakes presence and launched an unlimited company, Geostrategy International—raising transparency concerns among campaigners because such firms need not file accounts.

His lawyers have previously denied wrongdoing tied to crypto allegations.

The Daily Beast has contacted Cottrell, Biteback Publishing, and Reform UK for comment.

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Tom LatchemLead Global Correspondent

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