Public Baffled by Ex-Scotland FM Asking for Money to Fight Gov't He Once Headed

The former Scottish First Minister's crowdfunding campaign, launched on Wednesday evening by Thursday morning had exceeded his 50,000 pound ($65,000) target.

Members of the public, however, expressed their objection to Mr. Salmond's way of funding a review into the sexual harassment allegations, which prompted him to resign from the Scottish National Party (SNP).

READ MORE: Salmond Denies 'Ludicrous' Sex Assault Allegations, Sues Scottish Government

Mr. Salmond has denied the harassment claims from two female staff members and announced his intention "to secure fairness because that is necessary to clear" his name.

"The costs of a Judicial Review in the highest court in the land are huge. Many have asked how they can help directly. Therefore I have established a crowd funder to assist with costs. All sums received will contribute exclusively to progressing the Judicial Review and any money left over will be used to support good causes in Scotland and beyond," the former SNP leader wrote on his crowdfunding page, under the hashtag #forFairness.

Holyrood said the process of accepting filed complaints has been "entirely confidential throughout" and that the government will defend its position vigorously in the courts.

Salmond's successor, the First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon, has issued a statement following the news of his resignation. She expressed "huge sadness" about the situations but said the complaints received by the government "could not be ignored or swept under the carpet."

'Substantial Internal Division'

The sexual misconduct scandal surrounding Alex Salmond has highlighted a sensitive subject for the ruling SNP that is the unity of the party and its ongoing campaign for independence. In May 2018, Sturgeon has announced that she was to "restart" her campaign for Scottish independence and "consider again the question of the timing of an independence referendum" once some clarity is achieved in autumn 2018 on the "Brexit outcome and the future relationship between the UK and the EU."

"The cause of independence, to which both he and I have dedicated our entire lives, is bigger than any one individual. And the work we must do to achieve independence is more important now than ever," Ms. Sturgeon said, following Salmond's resignation.

READ MORE: Scotland to Mull New Independence Vote When There's Clarity on Brexit — Sturgeon

Earlier in August 2018, the Deputy Leader of SNP Keith Brown reaffirmed Scotland's independence is "on the agenda." He argued that Scotland would be well placed to join similar sized independent nations that "have performed far better for decades" despite having "fewer resources than Scotland."

READ MORE: Thousands of Independence Supporters March in Scotland's Glasgow

Mr. Salmond led an unsuccessful independence campaign as SNP leader in 2014 and resigned following the referendum "No" vote.  He returned to politics as SNP MP for Gordon in 2015 but lost his seat in the 2017 snap general election.

So far the crowdfunding campaign by Scotland's former leader has raised over £75,000 ($98,000).