澳大利亚独立反腐委员会（ICAC）正在调查前游说公司贝金顿是否代表被禁捐赠人迈克尔·奥哈拉接受非法捐款，以资助自由党保守派系"改革者"的活动[1]。该公司创始人杰里米·格林伍德在听证会上供证，承认公司曾使用虚假名义"杰西卡"与天主教学校新南威尔士州进行通信[1]。
格林伍德承认向让-克劳德·佩罗特（多米尼克·佩罗特的弟弟）支付了12000澳元，但否认这笔款项与改革者的招募工作有关[1]。在听证过程中，格林伍德承认自己在2019年或2020年听说过奥哈拉的名字，尽管他在强制性审查时最初声称未曾听说过这个人[1]。贝金顿公司的共同创始人克里斯蒂安·埃利斯已移居英国，拒绝提供证词[1]。
Australia's Independent Commission Against Corruption is investigating whether a former lobbying firm improperly funneled donations to support the Liberal Party's conservative faction known as the Reformers.[1] Belington, the firm under scrutiny, allegedly received illegal contributions on behalf of prohibited donor Michael O'Hara to finance activities connected to the faction.[1]
Jeremy Greenwood, founder of Belington, testified at the public inquiry that the company used a fictitious identity named "Jessica" to conduct communications with Catholic schools in New South Wales.[1] Greenwood acknowledged that the firm made payments to Michael O'Hara, described as a prohibited donor, and also admitted to paying AUD 12,000 to Jean-Claude Perrottet, the brother of Liberal MP Dominic Perrottet, though he denied the payment related to Reformers recruitment efforts.[1] When first questioned under compulsion, Greenwood claimed he had never heard O'Hara's name, but later conceded he had become aware of it in 2019 or 2020.[1]
The inquiry has encountered obstacles in gathering evidence, as Christian Ellis, Belington's co-founder, has relocated to the United Kingdom and declined to provide testimony.[1]