An investigation by television station Stöð 2 has revealed that the
Conservative Party accepted a financial gift of 30 million ISK from FL
Group just days before legislation capping donations went into effect.
The transaction occured in December 2006, a few months before the last elections were held. At the time, legislation that limited financial donations to political parties at 300,000 ISK was just about to take effect.
Andri Óttarsson, manager of the Conservative Party, would not comment to RÚV about the matter. Conservative MP Illugi Gunnarsson told reporters that his party has always abided the letter of the law, although he himself was not aware of any such financial transaction from that period.
FL Group, now known as Stoðir, is an international investment company, holding large stakes in insurance, real estate, and Icelandic corporate giant Baugur Group. Ironic, as the Conservative Party led a failed mission to break up Baugur Group’s media holdings in Iceland in 2004.