A Liberal figure under investigation for allegedly accepting illegal donations has told the corruption watchdog that it does not have a “shred of evidence” that he was part of a conservative factional group, saying he told members “not to keep going” after it became “toxic”.
Consultant and lobbyist, Jeremy Greenwood, 37, who is named in two of the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s (Icac) allegations as part of Operation Rosny, gave evidence on Monday.
Icac is investigating whether conservative Liberal figures including Greenwood “solicited or accepted” donations, including from prohibited donors, in amounts which were undeclared or exceeded caps, for the recruitment or renewal of members to the Liberal party. The practice, known as branch-stacking, is not itself illegal.
Members of the group, known as the Reformers, wanted more conservative policies on same-sex marriage, abortion and euthanasia.
Reformers witnesses Robert Assaf and Jean-Claude Perrottet have disputed whether Greenwood was part of the core factional group. On Monday, Greenwood admitted his political views were aligned with members of the Reformers, but downplayed his involvement.
Counsel assisting, Peggy Dwyer SC, suggested to Greenwood that he was “at pains” to distance himself from the Reformers, but that intercepted messages showed he supported their activities and events in 2019.
Greenwood said evidence showed he “assisted on one event under heavy pressure”.
“But I’ve yet to see another shred of evidence that shows me for the entire history of the Reformers that I was ever involved,” he said.
In a tense exchange, after he was asked if he had supported anti-abortion and anti-euthanasia petitions by the group, Greenwood said: “Sorry, you’re asking me if I’m anti-abortion?”
Presiding commissioner, Fabian Gleeson, asking Greenwood to pause, said: “You’re not being criticised for any views you hold on any moral issue whatsoever, and I would not allow that to occur. Do you understand?”
Greenwood described meeting Ellis when both were staffers in the office of Nationals senator Matt Canavan in 2018. He recalled attending a Reformers event in that year in a professional capacity, but said he did not listen to speeches by Canavan or Dominic Perrottet. Asked about another event where former broadcaster Alan Jones spoke, he said was not sure if he had attended.
“If Alan was going and speaking, I would have wanted to go, but it would have depended on my availability,” he said. “I like Alan, he’s great”.
He said his involvement with former lobbying company Beckington, set up by Reformer Christian Ellis and himself in 2019, which the commission has heard received payments for factional work under bogus arrangements for financial and consulting advice, “started to cause me a lot of grief professionally”.
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Greenwood said he “privately told all of them [the Reformers] to not keep going”. “I don’t know what date, but it became so toxic,” he said. The commission heard that Greenwood’s lobbying firm JGP Advisory had lost clients after the announcement of Icac’s inquiry.
Greenwood, who was a groomsman at Ellis’s wedding, said he remained close friends with him, as well as Charles Perrottet, and Reformers Robert Assaf and Jean-Claude Perrottet, with whom he attended independent Catholic school Redfield College. He said he considered Dominic Perrottet a friend, but said he had not spent “not a lot of time” with the former premier.
He said he had visited Ellis, who moved to the UK at the start of the year, and who Icac says has declined to give oral evidence to the inquiry and is yet to respond to alternative proposals, in June. Greenwood insisted Ellis did want to give evidence.
The inquiry has previously heard allegations that Greenwood, Ellis, Charles and Jean-Claude Perrottet avoided summons to appear at a parliamentary inquiry in 2023 which preceded Icac’s investigation.
Dominic Perrottet is not accused of any wrongdoing, while Jean-Claude and Charles Perrottet have previously denied any wrongdoing.
Catholic Schools NSW CEO, Dallas McInerney is expected to appear on Wednesday and Thursday this week.
Icac is investigating an allegation that prohibited donations were made by the schools’ governing body, arranged and approved by McInerney, including through Beckington and JPG Advisory.
Icac’s inquiry continues.
