Boris Johnson ally Nadine Dorries is going through a possible investigation over alleged "communications" she made to civil servants concerning her thwarted peerage.
Cabinet Secretary Simon Case mentioned he had referred the messages Ms Dorries allegedly despatched to senior civil servants to Tory chief whip Simon Hart and Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle.
He mentioned he had additionally sought authorized recommendation over the matter.
It comes as Ms Dorries, who served as tradition secretary beneath Mr Johnson, introduced she had written a ebook on the "political assassination" of Boris Johnson because of be launched days earlier than the Tory get together convention in October.
Ms Dorries was certainly one of three Johnson allies who believed they had been in line to obtain a peerage from the outgoing prime minister final month - however when the record was lastly printed, their names had been absent.
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Following the perceived snub, Ms Dorries introduced she would stand down as an MP with "immediate effect", triggering a by-election in her constituency of Mid Bedfordshire.
However, Ms Dorries later mentioned she wouldn't formally resign till she obtained solutions from Downing Street as to why she didn't get her peerage.
In a session of the general public administration and constitutional affairs committee, Tory MP and chair William Wragg requested Mr Case concerning the "lingering member for Mid Bedfordshire".
"Obviously, the most recent sets of resignation honours and particularly peerages has excited some public comment, and indeed, some current former and indeed lingering members of the House of Commons as well," he mentioned.
"Are you aware of any forceful communications - it may be described - sent by the lingering member for Mid Bedfordshire to senior civil servants?"
He continued: "Really - I suppose, threatening it could be described - to use the platform of the Commons and indeed her own television programme to get to the bottom of why she hadn't been given a peerage?"
Mr Case mentioned he was "aware" of such communications and had flagged them to the Commons Speaker and Conservative chief whip.
Asked if he had taken authorized recommendation on whether or not the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925 may "come into play", Mr Case mentioned he was "seeking further advice on that question".
Sky News has approached Ms Dorries for remark however has not obtained a reply.
Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper mentioned the newest claims in opposition to Ms Dorries had been "staggering".
"It's crucial a swift investigation takes place into whether Nadine Dorries may have broken the law.
"Not solely is Dorries failing to symbolize the individuals of Mid Bedfordshire, however now it emerges she has allegedly despatched threatening messages to civil servants.
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Ms Dorries obtained £20,500 as a partial advance from HarperCollins for the ebook, which she mentioned tells the story of "treachery and deceit at the heart of the Westminster machine".
It is ready to hit the stands on 28 September - simply three days earlier than Conservatives convene for the annual get together convention on 1 October.
She mentioned: "I had wanted to discover the forces behind the downfall of the prime minister. Instead, I found a fault line within the Conservative Party stretching back decades, and a history of deception fuelled by the darkest political arts.
"If you thought that energy flowed from the individuals into parliament, be ready to suppose once more."
Last month, Ms Dorries was certainly one of seven MPs who had been closely criticised by the privileges committee for placing "improper strain" on its investigation into whether or not Mr Johnson lied to MPs over partygate.
Content Source: information.sky.com
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