Police probe electoral complaint
Police are investigating a complaint made by Jami-Lee Ross about National Party leader Simon Bridges’ handling of an alleged $100,000 donation, the Electoral Commission says.
An Electoral Commission spokeswoman said it had been contacted by police and it was providing advice as required.
Last Monday, after Bridges pointed the finger at Ross for leaking his travel expenses, Ross went public with claims Bridges had breached electoral law in his handling of an alleged $100,000 donation from wealthy businessmen Yikun Zhang and Colin Shijia Zheng.
Ross alleges the payment was split into smaller donations, so it could remain anonymous.
Zhang and Zheng are not accused of any wrongdoing.
Bridges strongly denies the allegation and invited Ross to take evidence to police.
On Wednesday Ross took a recording of a conversation between him and Bridges in which they discuss the donation, to Wellington police.
Afterwards, Ross released a tape to media from June 25 in which Ross and Bridges discuss the donation and how to handle it but there is no smoking gun.
Zheng was mentioned in the recording as a possible candidate for the National Party.
On Tuesday, National Party president Peter Goodfellow said Zheng had entered the National Party’s candidate college for the 2020 election. The college acts as a kind of boot camp for potential National Party candidates but it does not guarantee selection.
Penalties for failure to comply with the Electoral Act range from a fine of $40,000 at the lower end, to a maximum of two years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.
The Electoral Commission is aware of only one case resulting in a conviction – two low-profile candidates from unregistered parties were fined $200 each after the 2008 general election for failing to file expense donation returns. The only active prosecution involves People’s Party secretary Anil Sharma, who is facing five charges of failing to file donations made to his party exceeding the sum of $30,000.
Last week Ross was expelled from the National Party after women came forward to media to allege they had either been bullied by him or had consensual but threatening sexual relationships with him. Ross disputes aspects of the story.
Ross was taken into mental health care late on Saturday night but has since been released.
Last Thursday a source told Stuff Goodfellow helped broker a ‘‘peace agreement’’ that included a confidentiality clause between Ross and a woman who felt threatened by him.
Bridges has since said the National Party will review its workplace practices.
It will seek independent advice on whether its current systems for dealing with such matters were up to scratch.