Robert Assaf's $135k Catholic Schools NSW Salary Linked to Liberal Faction Work Revealed by ICAC
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) heard that Robert Assaf received a $135,000 salary from Catholic Schools NSW, allegedly to support his work for the Reformers, a right‑wing religious group aligned with the Liberal Party faction.
Text messages read to the commission show Assaf claimed entitlement to 10 % of the value of contracts he introduced to Christian Ellis’s firm Beckington, including contracts with Catholic Schools NSW, and that he was angry about not receiving his share. The exchange also revealed a dispute over Ellis’s alleged assistance to fugitive Sydney property developer Jean Nassif in lobbying on a water issue.
Assaf said he was stepping back from the Reformers because Ellis had not answered his concerns about the Nassif connection. The hearing highlighted potential misuse of public‑sector salaries for partisan activities.
Entities: Catholic Schools NSW · Christian Ellis · Independent Commission Against Corruption · Jean Nassif · Robert Assaf
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Robert Assaf received a $135,000 salary from Catholic Schools NSW. (ICAC hearing evidence)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Christian Ellis was assisting fugitive Sydney property developer Jean Nassif with lobbying on a water issue. (ICAC hearing evidence)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The salary was intended to support Assaf's work for the Reformers, a right‑wing religious group linked to Liberal Party factional work. (ICAC hearing evidence)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Assaf resigned from the Reformers, citing concerns about Ellis’s connection to fugitive developer Jean Nassif. (ICAC hearing testimony)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Assaf expressed anger in text messages about not receiving his 10 % share of contract values. (ICIC hearing text messages)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Assaf was entitled to 10 % of the total value of contracts with clients he introduced to Christian Ellis’s company Beckington, including Catholic Schools NSW. (ICAC hearing evidence)