NSW prosecutors launch proceedings against Labor officials accused of disguising donations to Chris Minns

Lead

New South Wales prosecutors have launched proceedings against two state Labor officials accused of disguising donations to Premier Chris Minns during his 2015 election campaign. The NSW Premier will not face prosecution himself, with the electoral commission telling a parliamentary hearing that only two matters were referred to prosecutors.

Coverage Comparison

The two outlets that reported this story — ABC Australia and The Guardian — both focused on the legal action against the two officials, Ernest Wong and Jonathan Yee, while noting that Minns has not been accused of wrongdoing. ABC Australia highlighted that the Premier will not face legal action, while The Guardian provided additional context about the investigation's origins and the involvement of Chinese property developer Huang Xiangmo.

Key Claims

• Two individuals charged: Ernest Wong, a former Labor MP, and Jonathan Yee, a former Labor staffer, have been charged by prosecutors and will face court on June 16. The NSW Electoral Commission confirmed this at a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday, according to ABC Australia and The Guardian.

• Alleged scheme to circumvent electoral laws: The proceedings allege that between 28 October 2014 and 12 August 2015, Yee and Wong carried out a scheme to circumvent a prohibition or requirement under Part 6 of the Election Funding, Expenditure and Disclosures Act 1981, as reported by The Guardian. ABC Australia similarly reported that they allegedly participated in a scheme to circumvent electoral funding laws.

• Investigation timeline: The NSW Electoral Commission commenced an investigation in 2019 into a potential scheme to circumvent election funding laws, according to The Guardian. ABC News reported that the commission told a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday about the charges.

• Donation details: The Guardian reported that the pair were involved in concealing a donation of $10,000 to the Minns campaign, made in 2014 during a Labor party fundraiser. This detail was not included in ABC Australia's report.

• Huang Xiangmo involvement: The Guardian linked the alleged misconduct to Chinese property developer Huang Xiangmo, noting that the 2019 ICAC Operation Aero investigation found Wong had engaged in corrupt conduct by concealing illegal political donations by Huang. This context was not present in ABC Australia's report.

• No other matters referred: Both outlets reported that the NSW Electoral Commission said "no other matters" had been sent to the DPP. The commission's commissioner, Rachel McCallum, was quoted by ABC Australia as saying "only two" matters were being referred and that there were no other active lines of investigation.

Perspectives

NSW Electoral Commission

The commission emphasised the seriousness of the alleged scheme, noting it had investigated the matter since 2019 and had provided materials to the DPP. Commissioner McCallum declined to comment on whether a statement had been taken from the Premier, citing the importance of not disclosing every witness who assisted the commission.

Premier Chris Minns

While not directly quoted in the reports, ABC Australia noted that Minns has repeatedly denied a conversation alleged to have occurred in an affidavit from former Labor staffer David Latham, in which Minns allegedly asked for advice on getting unreceipted money into the 2015 campaign fund. The Premier has not been accused of any wrongdoing in the current proceedings.