Ross felt betrayed by Bridges
Jami-Lee Ross says he recorded his then-party leader to protect himself, but when Simon Bridges found out, he threatened to strip the MP of his portfolios.
In March 2018, after Simon Bridges was made leader of the National Party, Jami-Lee Ross was left disappointed with his position as number 8 on the list.
In a text message to Bridges, he said: ‘‘My head says suck it up. My heart says go kamakazi (sic) Head wins. I’ll suck it up.’’
Ross wanted chief whip or shadow leader of the house. Instead, Bridges told Ross he’d been given a ‘‘massive challenge and opportunity’’ with the transport and infrastructure portfolio and he should be proud.
The text messages were shown to the High Court at Auckland yesterday as Bridges gave evidence in a trial over allegedly fraudulent donations to both the National and Labour parties.
Ross and three businessmen – Yikun Zhang, Shijia (Colin) Zheng and Hengjia (Joe) Zheng – have been charged by the Serious Fraud Office over donations made to the National Party.
The three businessmen are also facing charges – alongside two men and a woman, who all have interim name suppression – over donations made to the Labour Party.
The Crown’s case is that sham donors were used and put forward by men on the inside of both parties to disguise the true donor: Zhang.
The charges concerning the National Party relate to two separate donations of $100,000 – one in 2017 and one in 2018.
Earlier yesterday the court heard how Ross had secretly recorded Bridges mutliple times, saying he had suffered a huge financial loss after being demoted and would not go down without a fight.
Ross recorded Bridges in three phone calls – one in June 2018 and two in September of that year. The recordings were played to the court yesterday.
In them, Ross could be heard saying he felt betrayed by Bridges, who now hosts a podcast for Stuff.
‘‘I was deeply hurt and unhappy with the leadership change,’’ he said.
Ross also denied allegations of inappropriate behaviour with women.
He told Bridges it would be the end of his career if he was moved to the back bench.
‘‘You have asked me to go and collect [a] $100,000 donation. That hasn’t been declared properly. I have recordings of you . . . you have put me in the position,’’ Ross said.
‘‘If I have to lose my career . . . I have no option [but] to go down fighting.’’
On the recording, Bridges accused Ross of actively seeking to destabilise the party for months.
He told Ross there was evidence of his sexual misconduct, which was ‘‘systemic and prolonged’’.
He also said he never asked Ross to do anything illegal regarding the donation.
In a second conversation on September 27, Bridges told Ross he would demote him further if he did not take an ‘‘olive branch’’.
Ross said he was protecting himself when he recorded Bridges in June.
‘‘I was asked to be involved in significant donations and Chinese interest that haven’t been declared properly,’’ Ross said.
Bridges said there was nothing illegitimate or wrong about collecting donations. He told the court he did not instruct Ross to collect the donation.
Under cross-examination by Ross’ lawyer Ron Mansfield QC, Bridges said he thought Ross would be ‘‘very happy with the positions he received’’.
Mansfield submitted it was a political and financial setback for Ross to miss out on chief whip or shadow leader. Bridges disagreed, saying Ross had been ‘‘significantly promoted’’.
The trial continues.