Emma Little-Pengelly on Jeffrey Donaldson: ‘Somebody that I thought I knew’

Emma Little-Pengelly, Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister, expressed shock upon learning of the arrest of Jeffrey Donaldson, the former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), for sex offenses. Donaldson, 63, was recently convicted of 18 counts of child sex abuse, including one charge of rape, involving two women during their childhoods. He is currently held at Maghaberry Prison near Belfast, awaiting a sentencing hearing scheduled for September. Donaldson is appealing his conviction. Little-Pengelly, who worked alongside Donaldson for over two decades, described him as "somebody that I thought I knew." However, she admitted she was "completely floored" upon discovering the extent of his criminal behavior. She stated that she was now "confronted with the fact that I clearly didn't know this person at all." In an interview with the BBC Red Lines podcast, Little-Pengelly emphasized that individuals who worked with Donaldson over the years were similarly stunned and repulsed by the revelations. She noted that Donaldson, a master manipulator, had concealed his actions from colleagues and associates for a long period. Recent reports have detailed aspects of Donaldson's private life, including allegations of heavy drinking, visits to gay saunas, and extramarital affairs. These behaviors have contributed to internal turmoil within the DUP, which faces scrutiny over its handling of the situation. Earlier this month, police confirmed receiving a complaint regarding an alleged nonrecent offense following media reports of an alleged sexual assault by Donaldson in the DUP's Westminster offices in 2016. Little-Pengelly stressed that attention should remain focused on the serious nature of the child sex abuse charges, rather than conflating them with other allegations. She reiterated that Donaldson had been convicted of being a paedophile and a rapist, emphasizing that the other allegations surrounding him are far less significant compared to the gravity of the crimes he has been found guilty of. The victims of these crimes have endured a harrowing journey to secure justice, according to Little-Pengelly. Little-Pengelly revealed that she had no knowledge of any allegations against Donaldson before his arrest in 2024. She affirmed that she would never attempt to conceal or downplay the sexually inappropriate behavior of anyone. She recalled beginning her collaboration with Donaldson in her mid-20s and noted that no warnings were given about potential concerns related to his character. During a St Patrick’s Day trip to Washington 20 years ago, Donaldson reportedly engaged in inappropriate conduct, kissing an unnamed female politician and vomiting on a taxi driver on the return journey. At the time, Little-Pengelly served as a special adviser to the First and Deputy First Minister’s Office and participated in the trip. She expressed astonishment that such behavior had not generated discussion among the numerous Northern Irish attendees at the event. If any other politician had behaved in a similar manner, it would likely have sparked conversation at the gathering. An independent review commissioned by the DUP is currently underway to examine whether the party was aware of Donaldson's inappropriate conduct. Little-Pengelly hopes the investigation will provide clarity on who within the party knew what about Donaldson's behavior. She suspects the findings will reveal that no one had any indication of the true nature of Donaldson's character until now. The review aims to uncover the extent of knowledge within the DUP regarding the former leader's activities and decisions made in response to them.