新南威尔士州独立反腐委员会（ICAC）正在进行Operation Rosny调查，深入审视自由党右翼秘密派系"Reformers"成员的不当政治活动。[1][2]前自由党工作人员Dylan Whitelaw作证揭露，党内高层操作人员从禁止的捐赠者处接收未申报政治捐款，金额超过法定上限。[2][3]这些资金用于党员招募和续期，涉及的捐赠者包括天主教学校新州（26万美元）、旅馆业主Michael O'Hara（超过15万美元）以及开发商Jean Nassif（200万美元）。[2]
调查进一步披露，自由党改革派成员制作了针对前警察部长David Elliott的黑材料文件，试图损害其政治生涯。[2][4]这份文件包含对Elliott的政治和个人指控列表，文件标题为"David Elliot shit sheet.docx"。[2]根据Whitelaw的证词，Jeremy Greenwood和Christian Ellis声称掌握Elliott婚外情的照片，并计划通过议员Eleni Petinos在议会委员会会议上提交相关视频。[1][4]Elliott在声明中否认所有指控，表示自己是"30年的devoted husband"。[2]Whitelaw认为这反映的是自由党内部派系冲突。[4]
被指控的改革派关键成员包括Robert Assaf、Jean-Claude Perrottet、Christian Ellis和Jeremy Greenwood，他们被控向禁止的捐赠者索取或接受未申报的政治捐款。[3]Assaf曾在天主教学校NSW任职期间，约60%的工作时间用于改革派活动，而前CEO Dallas McInerney因涉嫌通过虚假发票使用学校资金支持该派系而被调查。[3]预计将听取Assaf两天的证词。[3]
New South Wales's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has launched a public investigation into misconduct within the state's Liberal Party, revealing allegations of undisclosed political donations, falsified records, and internal political sabotage orchestrated by party operatives. The Operation Rosny inquiry has heard testimony from former party staff and scrutinized the activities of the Liberal Reformers, a secretive right-wing faction within the party.[1]
Former Liberal Party employee Dylan Whitelaw, aged 25, testified that operatives within the party received unreported donations from prohibited sources, including developers and hotel owners, that exceeded legal contribution limits.[2] Whitelaw revealed that party figures obtained damaging material on former police minister David Elliott, with evidence presented showing a document titled "David Elliott shit sheet.docx" containing political and personal allegations against him.[2][4] According to Whitelaw's testimony, operatives Jeremy Greenwood and Christian Ellis claimed to possess photographs of Elliott's extramarital affair and planned to use the material in parliamentary proceedings.[4] Elliott has denied all allegations, stating he is a "devoted husband of 30 years".[2]
The investigation centers on donations flowing to the Reformers faction from multiple restricted sources. Catholic Schools NSW made an undisclosed payment of approximately 260,000 Australian dollars to the faction,[2] while hotel owner Michael O'Hara contributed over 150,000 dollars.[2] Developer Jean Nassif allegedly provided 2 million dollars to key figures within the group.[2] ICAC has accused figures including Robert Assaf, Jean-Claude Perrottet, Christian Ellis, and Jeremy Greenwood of "soliciting or accepting undisclosed political donations from prohibited donors, in amounts exceeding applicable donation caps, for the purposes of recruiting and/or renewing Liberal Party members".[3] Former Catholic Schools NSW chief executive Dallas McInerney is under investigation for allegedly using school funds through false invoices to support the Reformers.[3]
Whitelaw characterized the episode as reflecting standard factional warfare within the party rather than direct instruction from Nassif.[4] He was recruited to the faction at age 21 in early 2022 and worked in party offices for approximately ten months before departing in November 2022.[1] He subsequently allowed his party membership to lapse in 2023 and now works for the state emergency services department.[1] The inquiry also heard that Chris Spence, a key Reformers operative who was forced to resign from a previous ICAC investigation a decade earlier for concealing political donations through a shell consulting company called EightbyFive, had orchestrated Whitelaw's recruitment.[1]