NSW自由党改革派（NSW Reformers）因涉嫌接受非法政治献金和隐瞒资金流向而成为独立反腐委员会（ICAC）的调查焦点。[1][2]该派系联合创始人Robert Assaf在ICAC公开听证上作证时承认，组织从被禁止的捐赠人士手中接受资金，包括房产开发商和酒店业老板。[1]Assaf声称他认为政治募资法律不适用于该派系，但后来承认了解到某些虚假的咨询安排实际上被用于掩盖向改革派的直接捐赠。[1]
调查揭示了这一派系的庞大融资和组织活动。[2]作为酒类及赌博业大亨，迈克尔·奥哈拉向改革派贡献了165,000美元，但声称最近才得知这可能构成违法献金。[2]奥哈拉每月从其公司Paslibdan Pty Ltd向Beckington咨询公司支付5,000美元，这些款项随后被转入Jean-Claude Perrottet控制的银行账户。[1]前天主教学校首席执行官达拉斯·麦克英尼和失踪房产开发商让·纳西夫也被指提供了数十万美元资金。[2]ICAC律师助理Peggy Dwyer SC指出，"对法律的无知不是借口"。[2]
改革派在2018年至2023年期间进行了为期五年的运动，旨在通过招募大量保守派新成员来接管NSW自由党左翼分支。[2]到2020年，该组织已招募1,200名新成员并获得州执行委员会的代表席位，最初目标则是招募5,000名基督教保守派成员。[1]调查发现证据表明改革派及其财政支持者"采取了精心设计、有时荒谬的手段来隐瞒资金"。[2]这次公开听证会预计持续七周，将有更多证人接受质询。[2]
Robert Assaf, co-founder of the NSW Reformers, testified at an Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) inquiry that the right-wing faction received funding from prohibited donors including property developers and hotel owners [1]. Assaf claimed he believed political fundraising laws did not apply to the organization, stating "I didn't think the law applied to us" [1]. However, he later acknowledged awareness of sham consulting arrangements designed to conceal direct donations to the Reformers [1].
The investigation reveals an extensive scheme to obscure financial flows supporting the faction's activities. Michael O'Hara, a hotel and gambling industry magnate classified as a prohibited donor, contributed 165,000 dollars to the Reformers [2]. Counsel Assisting Peggy Dwyer SC countered claims of ignorance, stating that "ignorance is not an excuse" and noting the Liberal Party should have learned lessons from Operation Spicer, a fundraising scandal from a decade earlier [2]. The ICAC found evidence that Reformers organizers and their financial backers "adopted carefully designed, and at times absurd, methods to conceal the funds" [2].
Between 2018 and 2023, the Reformers executed a five-year campaign to take control of left-leaning branches of the NSW Liberal Party by recruiting new members [2]. The organization successfully recruited approximately 1,200 new members and secured representation on the state executive committee by 2020, with an initial target of recruiting 5,000 conservative Christian members [1][2]. The public hearing is expected to continue for seven weeks with additional witnesses scheduled to testify [2].