Jami-Lee Ross lodges formal complaint against Simon Bridges

RNZ Wellington, October 17, 2018
Former National MP Jami-Lee Ross emerged this afternoon from the Victoria Street Police Station in Wellington after filing a complaint on leader Simon Bridges.
After emerging from the station he told media the police will be investigating the complaint.
Before he went into the Station, he told the media outside that he would release the recording publicly after he had given it to police.

Jami-Lee Ross speaks to media after filing a complaint against National leader Simon Bridges.
(Photo for RNZ by Rebekah Parsons-King)

About the Recording
After filing his complaint he confirmed that the recording will be uploaded to Twitter.
He said the recording which is about to be released does not include Simon Bridges telling him to split the donation up.
He said Mr Bridges had told him in an earlier un-recorded phone call.
Mr Ross said he has further recordings of him and Mr Bridges discussing the alleged harassment allegations which he raised yesterday.
He said he recorded the conversations in order to protect himself.
Corruption alleged
In an extraordinary move yesterday, Mr Ross quit the National Party over what he claims are corrupt practices by the National Party’s Leader.
Mr Ross alleges that he has a phone recording suggesting Mr Bridges had asked him to split a $100,000 donation from businessman Zhang Yikun into smaller parts, so that it was below the threshold where it would have to be made public.
Yesterday, Mr Bridges responded to those claims saying they were “baseless, false but serious allegations.”
Today, Deputy Leader Paula Bennett told Morning Report that Mr Bridges told her he did in fact meet with the businessman and the subject of supporting the Party may have come up.
“[Mr Bridges] said he certainly had conversations with [Mr Zhang] and with others that have wanted to support the National Party.”

Jami-Lee Ross heads into the Wellington police station to make his complaint.
(Photo for RNZ by Rebekah Parsons-King)

Bennett hesitant
However, she said she was hesitant to comment, because she did not want to misrepresent anyone as this was based off another conversation and she was telling it third-hand.
“He certainly had dinner with him, he is trying to recall that dinner and all of the conversations, and then I think he’s seen him at other functions, which Jami-Lee Ross has put photos out. He certainly thinks that it may have come up that he had said I want to support the National Party, Simon knowing I think that Jami-Lee knows him probably did put him on to it,” she said.
“We’re trying to dig our way through all of this, it is very complex, we’re not sure what Jami-Lee Ross has done, he’s kind of woven this through, It’s not straightforward. I am hesitant and now I don’t want to misrepresent.”
The Electoral Commission said it has not received any complaints relating to the matter, but would provide assistance to the police.
National Party $10,000 donor revealed
Meanwhile, the person responsible for a separate $10,000 secret donation to National has been revealed as the former Auckland councillor Aaron Bhatnagar.
Among his allegations, Mr Ross said that Mr Bridges had knowingly filed a false election return which noted a donation from a group called the Cathedral Club.
That donation was later removed from Mr Bridges’ return.
The National Party said it was transferred to the wider party which is where it was supposed to go in the first place.
In a statement published online, Mr Bhatnagar has revealed he was responsible for the donation.
He said that the Cathedral Club was an informal pay-your-own-way dinner club comprising a small group of Young Nats and university friends.
He was a regular attendee and one of the organisers of the club dinners, the last of which was held in 2008, he said.
“These days, it is easier for me to donate to parties, causes and charities than it is to participate on committees and help in campaigns as I once did,” Mr Bhatnagar said.
“So I am happy to be noted as giving $10,000 to the National Party in 2017. In addition, I have supported candidates in National with lesser sized donations in the past.”
Full compliance claimed
In a statement, a spokesperson for the National Party said the Party fully complied with the Electoral Act but had a long-standing policy of not discussing donations.
“Given the public interest in the Cathedral Club, however Aaron Bhatnagar has confirmed he is the donor. Simon and Aaron Bhatnagar are friends and Aaron is a well-known and strong supporter of the National Party. As the National Party has outlined, the donation was made to the National Party, not to Simon and the error was fixed as soon as it became known,” the Statement read.