Tommy Robinson has branded reports he has been denied a visa to the US as “fake news”.
The English Defence League founder was due to meet Republican politicians in Washington this week at the invitation of the Middle East Forum think tank.
The former leader of the English Defence League was invited by seven Republican congressmen, as well as US anti-Muslim groups, the Middle East Forum and the David Horowitz Freedom Centre.
He was expected to raise around $1.4 million (£1.1m) through speaking appearances.
Daniel Pipes, president of the conservative Philadelphia-based Middle East Forum which invited Robinson to the United States, said the British activist recently applied for a visa at the US Embassy in London but now realises it “will take a while” for him to be allowed into the country.
Robinson was previously banned from travelling to the USA due to a 2012 conviction for entering the country on a false passport, for which he received a ten-month prison sentence in the UK.
A State Department spokesperson said US law prohibits the agency from discussing individual visa cases, Reuters reports.
Earlier this week 55 MPs wrote to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urging him not to permit Robinson to enter America for the fundraising tour.
In a letter to Donald Trump’s administration, the cross-party group express “grave concern” that Robinson could be granted a waiver by the US government.
Pipes said his group was still optimistic that Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, could be granted a US visa at a later date.