A former lobbying company called Beckington allegedly used a fictitious administrative name, 'Jessica', on invoices sent to Catholic Schools NSW, the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption heard on Tuesday, during the second day of evidence from consultant and lobbyist Jeremy Greenwood in Operation Rosny.
Lobbying firm created fictitious employee 'Jessica' for Catholic Schools NSW correspondence, inquiry told
A former lobbying company called Beckington allegedly used a fictitious administrative name, 'Jessica', on invoices sent to Catholic Schools NSW, the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption heard on Tuesday, during the second day of evidence from consultant and lobbyist Jeremy Greenwood in Operation Rosny.
Operation Rosny is examining whether a Liberal Party factional group known as the Reformers — which sought more conservative policies on issues including same-sex marriage, abortion and euthanasia — solicited or accepted prohibited donations for party membership recruitment or renewal, a practice known as branch stacking. Branch stacking is not itself illegal.
Beckington was established in 2019 by Greenwood and Reformer Christian Ellis. The inquiry is investigating whether the company accepted payments for factional work through invoices to Michael O'Hara, described as a prohibited donor, and to Catholic Schools NSW.
Counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC read out 2020 correspondence from Beckington to Catholic Schools NSW bearing the sign-off 'Kind regards, Jessica' and asked Greenwood to identify the name. Greenwood said 'Jessica' was a fake administrative name created by Ellis, whom he described as thinking it was 'funny'. Greenwood said he and Ellis had 'silly humour'.
Greenwood said he could not recall whether Beckington paid Reformers members to carry out factional work. He said he believed the company had made payments to Jean-Claude Perrottet, the younger brother of former politician Dominic Perrottet, who is not named in ICAC's allegations. Greenwood later acknowledged a payment of $12,000 to Jean-Claude Perrottet, whom he described as his 'favourite friend', and said the money was provided because the recipient wanted to get married and did not have a job.
Dwyer put it to Greenwood that the $12,000 was for Reformers recruitment work. An invoice to Beckington for $5,500 in consulting fees from Jean-Claude Perrottet was put to Greenwood, who said, to the best of his knowledge, he was not aware of Jean-Claude Perrottet having carried out consulting work for the company.
Ellis moved to the United Kingdom at the start of the year and declined to give oral evidence to the inquiry, though Greenwood said on Monday that Ellis did want to appear. On Tuesday, the inquiry heard Ellis contacted Greenwood at 6am via encrypted messaging application Signal, asking what reaction had followed Greenwood's claim that Ellis wanted to appear. Greenwood said he told Ellis the response was 'just noted'.
O'Hara has admitted to making payments to Beckington for factional Liberal work under fake invoices, but disputed whether those payments constituted political donations. Greenwood had stated in a prior compulsory examination that he had not heard of O'Hara before ICAC's inquiry was announced. On Tuesday he admitted to having first heard O'Hara's name in 2019 or 2020, and said the compulsory examination had taken place shortly after a return flight from the United Kingdom, during which he had met Ellis at least four times and the two men had been drinking.
Greenwood, who is named in two of the commission's allegations, has repeatedly disputed being a member of the Reformers. On Tuesday he told the commission that hearing things while socialising at a pub did not amount to actively engaging in the group's work, and said he was not an 'active participant' in group chats in which Reformers discussed recruitment.
- Whether ICAC has reached any findings or conclusions against any named party
- The full nature or value of payments allegedly made to Beckington by Catholic Schools NSW
- Whether Jean-Claude Perrottet has been asked to give evidence or has responded to the payment allegations
- The specific content of the Signal call between Ellis and Greenwood beyond the exchange described
- Why Ellis declined to give oral evidence and under what legal basis
- Whether O'Hara has appeared before the inquiry or what the status of his evidence is
- The current legal or operational status of Beckington
- What, if any, role Dominic Perrottet played in any events under investigation
Read the original at The Guardian