‘Peace agreement’
National Party president Peter Goodfellow helped broker a ‘‘peace agreement’’ that included a confidentiality clause between Jami-Lee Ross and a woman who felt threatened by him, a source has told Stuff.
The agreement was signed before Simon Bridges became leader of the party and promoted Ross to the front bench.
It is unclear if Bridges was aware of the incident.
Stuff was told by a source close to the woman that the agreement was signed after the she went to Goodfellow and another senior National Party member with complaints about Ross’ threatening and bullying behaviour.
The agreement took the form of a ‘‘memorandum of understanding’’ that included a confidentiality clause.
The understanding boiled down to an agreement to leave each other alone and get on with their separate lives.
Radio NZ reported yesterday that a woman had signed a confidentiality agreement with Goodfellow after coming to him with similar issues. It’s understood
this is the same woman.
The news comes after Newsroom reported yesterday that two women had toxic sexual relationships with Ross, and two others had felt abused and threatened by the way he interacted with them.
Ross refused to comment on the Newsroom story other than to say he is considering his legal options. Bridges refused to comment through a spokesperson, saying it was a matter for the party. But the source said senior people in the National Party were keen for the women to speak out.
Earlier yesterday, reacting to the Newsroom story, Goodfellow said any issues that had happened with Ross had been ‘‘dealt with at the time’’.
At the time of the agreement Ross was the senior whip for the
National Party and one of their best fundraisers.
He went on to be promoted to the front bench after serving as Bridges’ ‘‘numbers man’’ during the leadership election.
Ross quit the party on Tuesday after alleging Bridges had asked him to commit electoral fraud.
Bridges has denied those claims and has called Ross a ‘‘leaker’’ and a ‘‘liar’’.
Ross has produced two pieces of evidence to prove his claim – text messages between him and party general manager Greg Hamilton and a taped phone call of he and Bridges discussing the donation.
But neither pieces of evidence have provided a ‘‘smoking gun,’’ although the tape has embarrassed Bridges politically.