Claims ‘baseless’ – Bridges
Disgraced MP Jami-Lee Ross is threatening to drag Simon Bridges and the party down with him after announcing he will quit and force a by-election over explosive allegations that the National leader is corrupt.
Ross also accused Bridges of trying to force him out of parliament over what he claims are trumped-up allegations that he harassed four women. Bridges has denied all of Ross’ claims.
During nearly an hour-long press conference, Ross said he would take secret tape recordings to police today as evidence that Bridges had filed unlawful electoral returns in relation to a $100,000 donation from a wealthy Chinese businessman.
He accused Bridges of asking him to mask the identity of the donor by splitting the donation up into smaller amounts.
Bridges strongly denied the allegation and invited Ross to take everything he had to the police as soon as possible.
‘‘I have done absolutely nothing wrong.’’
Bridges announced that the National caucus had voted unanimously to expel Ross.
But he refused to answer detailed questions about the $100,000 donation from the wealthy Chinese donor, named by Ross as businessman Zhang Yikun.
Ross said he attended a dinner on May 14 with Bridges at Zhang’s home. The following week Bridges called him and was excited because he was offered the donation.
Bridges asked him to collect the donation and was at pains to point out that could not be made public ‘‘and could I ensure this’’.
‘‘I duly carried out Simon Bridges’ wish.’’
The donation was collected and split into smaller donations, which Ross said was put in the name of different donors.
That meant the full $100,000 was never disclosed to the Electoral Commission.
On June 20, he called Bridges ‘‘knowing that the leader of the National Party had asked me to carry out an unlawful act’’.
He had recorded the conversation in which he put it to Bridges that he had dinner at the businessman’s home. ‘‘He said ‘yes’.’’
Ross said he then reminded Bridges about the offer to donate $100,000 and Bridges again answered ‘‘yes’’. He then told Bridges the donation had been received and Bridges ‘‘expressed his excitement, saying ‘fantastic’.’’
Ross said he then discussed with Bridges how to deal with the donation and also discussed how Bridges promised to have the businessman home for dinner.
He also discussed the matter with National Party secretary Greg Hamilton and suggested if there were concerns about the donation it should be returned. Hamilton thought that would be ‘‘a shame’’.
Ross said he would release photographs from the dinner proving it happened. Zhang’s wife confirmed to Stuff that Bridges dined at their house.
Ross also referred to a separate donation in the name of The Cathedral Club, which he said was a name used to hide the identity of a friend of Bridges.
‘‘He claims it was a clerical error. I call bullshit on that. The electoral act says filing a false return is a corrupt practice. Falsifying the name of a donor is a corrupt practice; I believe Simon Bridges is a corrupt politician.’’
Ross said he would go to the police because ‘‘multiple breaches of electoral law’’ were not acceptable.
Ross made the claims as the National caucus met to consider suspending him after an extraordinary series of tweets on Monday attacking Bridges.
But Ross has taken matters out of their hands by announcing he will resign from Parliament and force a by-election in his Botany seat, which he will contest.
MPs heading into the caucus meeting were united in their backing of Bridges, and scathing of Ross. Frontbench MP Judith Collins said Ross was ‘‘delusional’’ and she had never seen behaviour like it in her 16 years in parliament.
Speaking to media, Ross said it was clear he had a falling out with Bridges dating back some months.
‘‘I started to question some of his decisions and also ‘whether some of his activity was lawful and the standard expected of a party leader’.
‘‘Simon is a flawed individual, without a moral compass and without any underlying principles, except power.’’
Ross said a campaign to push him out ramped up ‘‘considerably three weeks ago’’.
He was called by National deputy leader Paula Bennett for an unexpected meeting and marched to Bridges’ office.
He was told four women had complained that he harassed them and Bridges was sacking him. ‘‘This was a shock. To the best of my knowledge I have not harassed any women.’’
Ross said he became suspicious when the story changed, and when he found out none of them had complained to their employer, Parliamentary Service.
He tried to get details, but was given none.
‘‘[Bridges] told me if I kept asking for natural justice it would not just be four women, he could get 15 women. The changing nature of the story made me think it was a bluff.’’
The following week it was announced he was taking leave, Ross said. ‘‘It’s true, I suffered a medical event.’’
The way the party was acting against him, and knowing his career was over, had been difficult to accept.
‘‘I had a mental breakdown.’’ After the press conference, Bridges hit out at Ross and said the caucus had been united in wanting him expelled.
‘‘We are not going to tolerate the kind of behaviour we have seen from Jami-Lee Ross.’’
‘‘The lies, the leaks, and other matters as well are entirely unacceptable.’’
He said all of Ross’ allegations about him were ‘‘baseless’’ and, in relation to the Electoral Act, ‘‘entirely false’’.