According to The New York Times, prosecutors have questioned former Cambridge Analytica employees and banks that handled its business in recent weeks, telling them that there is an open investigation into the company and “associated U.S. persons.”
Earlier this year, it was revealed that the controversial political firm improperly collected personal data from up to 87 million Facebook users, which was reportedly used to help elect U.S. President Donald Trump.
While Cambridge Analytica had around $15 million in U.S. political work during the run-up to the 2016 election, the company hasn’t brought on any other U.S. federal political clients since then. It has also lost commercial clients in recent months.
As a result, at the beginning of May, Cambridge Analytica announced it was shutting down.
Sources said that the U.S. investigation on the company is focusing on its financial dealings and how it acquired and used personal data from Facebook and other sources. Investigators have also reportedly reached out to Facebook as well.
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And Christopher Wylie, a former Cambridge Analytica employee, recently confirmed he had been contacted by American authorities.
“I can confirm that I’ve been contacted by the FBI and the Department of Justice, and answered preliminary questions,” Wylie said. “We plan to meet again to provide substantive answers to the investigators.”
The company is also being investigated by the National Crime Agency of Britain, which is looking into allegations including whether Cambridge Analytica employees tried to bribe foreign officials, destroyed evidence, hacked computers and violated Britain’s Data Protection Act.
Wylie said he was cooperating with that agency, as well as providing testimony and internal Cambridge Analytica documents to Parliament.
“There is an international investigation being coordinated by the National Crime Agency in Britain, and I intend to be as helpful and cooperative as I can,” he said.
