// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Burnham says he was not aware of Brand's 'horrific' crimes
'It’s not always the case that people know everything about people in public life,' says Burnham on Brand
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said Russell Brand has rightly been held to account for his "horrific" crimes and sought to explain Labour's previous association with the comedian.
Some within the Labour Party attempted to court Brand's support more than a decade ago, before police began investigating him - and in 2014 Burnham posted a supportive message on social media when the comedian was facing media criticism.
Asked about the 2014 tweet on Friday, Burnham said: "It's not always the case that people know everything about people in public life."
Brand was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault on Thursday.
In 2014, Brand was writing regular opinion pieces for newspapers and appearing on political discussion programmes, including the BBC's Question Time.
His anti-establishment and left-wing views had also gained him a following on social media.
Ed Miliband, then the Labour leader, was interviewed by Brand in the run-up to the 2015 general election.
Brand, who had previously dismissed the idea of voting, backed Labour following the interview, saying Miliband had convinced him that "this bloke will listen to us".
Miliband, who is now foreign secretary, has since said he regrets being interviewed by Brand. The BBC has approached Miliband for further comment.