澳大利亚新南威尔士州独立反腐委员会（ICAC）正在审理自由党改革派成员的非法募捐案。[1]该派系被控通过天主教学校新南威尔士州组织向游说公司转账，以绕过选举捐款禁令。[3]改革派成员罗伯·阿萨夫在作证中披露，募集的部分资金被挪作私人支出，包括一场鹿群夜间活动，并通过游说公司渠道转移资金以获得"税务最大效益"。[1]
阿萨夫因介绍天主教学校新南威尔士州作为客户而获得10%的回扣，总额达2万澳元。[2]虚假发票以阿萨夫妻子卡梅尔的名义开出，用以掩盖这笔回扣。[2]30岁的阿萨夫在作证中声称自己只是被动参与者，将大部分责任推给前友人克里斯蒂安·埃利斯。[2]埃利斯已于2023年8月被新南威尔士州自由党州执委会一致投票开除，且已移居英国，预计不会在调查期间作证。[2]
该听证会预计再进行七周。[3]根据新南威尔士州法律，规避捐款禁令属违法行为。[3]律师佩吉·德怀尔表示，大额支出参与者可能压过小型参与者和新参与者，可能破坏民主制度的完整性。[3]
An independent anti-corruption investigation into Australia's New South Wales Liberal Party has uncovered allegations that members of the Reformers faction diverted party donations to cover personal expenditures.[1] Robert Assaf, a member of the faction, testified that collected funds were used to pay for private spending, including a deer farm event, and that money was channeled through lobbying firms to achieve "tax maximization benefits."[1]
The scheme involved more complex misconduct beyond simple misuse of funds. Assaf received a 10 percent "commission" totaling 20,000 Australian dollars for introducing Catholic Schools NSW as a client to a lobbying firm, with false invoices issued in the name of his wife Carmel to conceal the kickback arrangement.[2] According to NSW law, circumventing electoral donation prohibitions constitutes a criminal offense.[3] Christian Ellis, who was identified as a key figure in the scheme, was unanimously expelled from the NSW Liberal Party executive in August 2023.[2] Ellis has since relocated to the United Kingdom and is not expected to testify during the investigation.[2]
The inquiry is expected to continue for seven more weeks.[3] Legal expert Peggy Dwyer warned that such schemes undermine democratic integrity, stating that "large spending participants could potentially overwhelm smaller participants and new entrants, potentially damaging the democratic system we take for granted."[3]