LONDON (AP) — Britain’s political spending watchdog is scaling up an investigation into Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s finances. The Electoral Commission has been looking into whether any funds used to pay for renovating the prime minister’s Downing Street residence should have been declared under the law on political donations. The commission said Wednesday there were “reasonable grounds” to suspect an offense had been committed over the pricey refurbishment amid claims Johnson received a loan from his Conservative Party for the work. The Electoral Commission has the power to impose fines for breaches of spending rules, and can refer cases to the police.
