NSW ICAC launches inquiry into Liberal Party donation and council‑stacking scandal

The New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption announced it will hold hearings from July into alleged illegal political donations and branch‑stacking involving the state Liberal Party. The investigation will examine claims that Jean‑Claude Perrottet, brother of former premier Dominic Perrottet, and fugitive property developer Jean Nassif solicited or accepted prohibited donations that exceeded caps, including contributions linked to Catholic Schools NSW and various business entities.

The probe also focuses on alleged collusion to install favourable councillors in Hills Shire and other councils, secret recordings, attempts at bribery and the use of opaque funding by a faction known as “the Reformers”. Liberal figures under scrutiny include Christian Ellis, Jeremy Greenwood, Robert Assaf and Charles Perrottet. Nassif, who fled to Lebanon after his company Toplace collapsed in 2023, denies any wrongdoing.