Tory leader's charity sent suspended politician abroad

Rhys ab Owen was suspended from the Senedd for two months earlier this year

A charity led by the new leader of the Conservatives in the Senedd helped pay for a Welsh politician who had been under investigation for his conduct to go to an American religious event.

Rhys ab Owen was suspended from Plaid Cymru's Senedd group when Darren Millar's Evan Roberts Institute invited him to attend the Washington DC National Prayer Breakfast in February.

Weeks later a report was published saying ab Owen had inappropriately touched two women while drunk on a night out. He was later banned from the Senedd for two months.

The institute said it had helped "sponsor the costs of a number of Welsh politicians" to take part in the breakfast in the past.

It said the breakfast afforded "an important opportunity to promote Wales and our rich Christian heritage".

Millar, who is the charity's president, did not respond to a request for comment.

Tory Montgomeryshire Member of the Senedd (MS) Russell George who is the charity's treasurer, referred BBC Wales to the institute's statement.

Ab Owen confirmed he was invited to attend the breakfast by the institute.

Millar took over from Andrew RT Davies as Welsh Conservative leader in the Senedd just under a fortnight ago. He was chief whip at the time of ab Owen's trip.

Set up in 2013, the Evan Roberts Institute says it promotes Welsh Christian heritage to people from Wales, the wider UK and internationally.

It says its affairs are managed by its three founding trustees, including Millar and George.

It spends most of its cash on events. The charity's accounts for 2023-24 showed the institute spent £1,068 for ab Owen to attend the United States National Prayer Breakfast in February 2024 in Washington DC.

The accounts said it sponsored the "costs of travel and participation" for ab Owen.

"This provided the opportunity for a Welsh parliamentarian to participate in the event and share... Wales' Christian heritage with other participants," the accounts said.

The United States National Prayer Breakfast, held on 1 February this year, is an annual religious and bipartisan political gathering and has attracted thousands of people over the years.

Ab Owen's register of interests said he was in the US from 24 January to 4 February.

Darren Millar became Welsh Conservative leader just under a fortnight ago

Ab Owen was suspended from Plaid Cymru's Senedd group in November 2022.

Details of the complaint against him were not publicly known at the time but BBC Wales had reported the suspension was because of a serious allegation, and that he was being investigated by the Senedd's Standards Commissioner Douglas Bain.

Mr Bain's investigation found he had inappropriately touched and swore at two women while drunk on a night out.

The probe was completed in May 2023 but did not become public until March 2024, when it was published by the Senedd's standards committee.

Following the report ab Owen was banned from the Senedd for two months, and was later expelled by Plaid Cymru. He remains an independent MS for South Wales Central.

When ab Owen went to Washington the committee had been in deliberations for months over the findings of Mr Bain's report, trying to come to a conclusion over what sanction to recommend.

Much of the committee's time had been taken with dealing with issues raised by ab Owen and his barrister.

BBC Wales asked Millar and George why the institute backed ab Owen to go while he was suspended from his party group, but did not receive an answer to the question.

In a statement, the institute said: "The Evan Roberts Institute has helped to sponsor the costs of a number of Welsh politicians to enable them to participate in the US National Prayer Breakfast in the past, Mr ab Owen is one of them.

"MSs from all political parties in the Senedd have received invitations in recent years.

"The events are attended by thousands of people, including elected representatives and heads of state from other nations, and afford an important opportunity to promote Wales and our rich Christian heritage."

Ab Owen said: "I was invited by the Evan Roberts Institute to attend the United States National Prayer Breakfast in February 2024 in Washington DC.

"Their contribution towards the cost of the trip has been on my member's register of interest since January 2024."

Analysis by BBC Wales political editor Gareth Lewis

Rhys ab Owen went to the United States with a cloud hanging over him at home.

The trip raises a fundamental question that has still not been answered: why did Darren Millar and Russell George decide that the institute would support Rhys ab Owen with that trip to the States, when his own party group had suspended him?

We still do not know what thought process went on, and whether there might have been discussions or questions asked.

This is not a story about the type of event that Rhys ab Owen went to. Millar has already said that people need to "get over" the fact that he is a Christian.

It is a story about whether a charity, led by senior Welsh politicians, chose the right person to invite to an event and help with his costs.