Text and Facebook messages to DUP politicians are being probed by police as part of an investigation into claims the UDA threatened party members during this month's leadership contest, according to reports.
Philip Brett, who was the campaign manager for Sir Jeffrey Donaldson during the MP's failed leadership bid, allegedly received a text from a Lisburn-based loyalist.
The Sunday Life reported that the unnamed loyalist messaged Mr Brett, telling him to "keep my name out of your mouth".
The loyalist allegedly claimed that he had been wrongly branded a UDA member in a bid to smear Edwin Poots.
Mr Brett's brother Gavin (18) was shot dead by the South East Antrim UDA in 2001 as he talked to Catholic friends.
Former DUP MP Emma Little-Pengelly, a special adviser to ex-DUP leader Arlene Foster, also allegedly received a Facebook message from the same loyalist in which she was allegedly told "you're next".
During a DUP meeting to ratify Edwin Poots's leadership on Thursday, Sir Jeffrey reportedly said members of his team were threatened by the UDA during his leadership campaign.
A PSNI spokeswoman said officers were investigating the threat claims.
"Police have received a complaint that a number of members of a political party had been threatened during a recent leadership campaign," she said.
"The full circumstances of the incident are still being established and enquiries are continuing at this time."
Mr Poots said last week no members of his team engaged in acts of intimidation, insisting they fought a "clean campaign".
"I would encourage all others, if there was anything that was done untoward by any individual, then that should be reported to police, and it certainly didn't come from my team," he said.
