Dominic Perrottet’s brother allegedly shared ‘dirt’ including secret phone recording of minister, Icac hears
Table of Contents
Dominic Perrottet’s Brother Allegedly Shared Secret Recording
Wanderstayfinder.com – The Independent Commission Against Corruption heard on Monday that Dominic Perrottet’s brother allegedly passed covert audio files to a former Liberal staffer in 2021, in what witnesses described as an attempt to advance the interests of a now-fugitive property developer. Testimony from Chris Spence, a former member of parliament and senior political operative, revealed how two recordings reached his possession and what he understood about their purpose at the time.
The commission’s ongoing inquiry examines whether Liberal Party figures accepted donations from Jean Nassif and his development firm Toplace in exchange for favourable government outcomes. Alleged outcomes under scrutiny include the removal of former building commissioner David Chandler from his role and sustained pressure on the career of former minister David Elliott. Nassif, who has since left the country, is not present before the inquiry but remains central to its scope.
Spence’s Role and the Origin of the Files
Spence represented the seat of The Entrance from 2011 to 2015. After leaving parliament, he served as chief of staff to Liberal MP Anthony Roberts from 2019 through 2023. Roberts held the corrections and counter-terrorism portfolio when the recordings were shared, before moving to the planning ministry in 2022.
Counsel assisting the commission, Juliet Curtin, pressed Spence on why the premier’s younger brother had transmitted two audio files to him during 2021. Spence acknowledged receiving both but maintained he had no awareness of any broader strategy being pursued at the time.
“Is that audio file being sent to you by Charles Perrottet not another example of Charles Perrottet ventilating dirt about Mr Nassif’s adversaries with you?”
Spence responded that the file did not, to his knowledge, reference Nassif directly, but conceded the content made clear his brother-in-law’s political circle held a sharply negative view of Elliott.
“I don’t know that that mentions anything of Mr Nassif, but that certainly does show that yes, Charlie definitely doesn’t have a strong opinion of Mr Elliott.”
When asked a second time whether the transmissions constituted work done to further Nassif’s agenda, Spence offered a qualified admission:
“Upon reflection, it would look that way, but at the time, that wouldn’t have been my view.”
The Two Recordings and Their Political Context
The first file, sent in May 2021, allegedly captured Nassif speaking with another individual about an arrangement under which Chandler would issue an occupation certificate for one of Nassif’s developments in return for a substantial payment. Accompanying the audio were copies of text messages requesting that money be deposited into a specified bank account. Chandler, scheduled to appear before the inquiry later the same week, has not been designated a person of interest and faces no formal accusation of misconduct.
The second file, transmitted in October 2021, was described as a covert phone recording made from inside someone’s pocket. Its purported content featured Elliott speaking critically of the premier, who was on the verge of becoming premier after Gladys Berejiklian announced her resignation that same month. Spence told the commission that the premier had initially contacted him about a business near his old electorate mentioned in the text messages, and later shared the Elliott recording specifically to ask for help isolating and removing background noise from the audio.
Elliott testified the previous week that Nassif began targeting him after the minister opposed several of the developer’s projects, including a contested development in Cherrybrook, a suburb in northern Sydney. The timing of the second recording — weeks before Berejiklian’s departure and the premier’s elevation to the top job — gives the exchange particular significance for the inquiry’s timeline.
Spence characterised the premier’s brother as a prominent figure within the Liberal Party’s conservative right faction, describing him as “very well respected, and intelligent … he was quite good at strategy.” He pushed back on the suggestion that the brother functioned merely as a relay channel to the premier, noting that others would phone repeatedly to lodge complaints and that the brother grew frustrated both with the callers and with his inability to reach his brother directly.
“There were things that the government did that he thought were silly, or that he would try
Related Reading
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Dominic Perrottet s brother allegedly shared?
Dominic Perrottet s brother allegedly shared is the main topic of this guide. The article explains the context, practical details, and next steps readers should understand.
Why does Dominic Perrottet s brother allegedly shared matter?
Dominic Perrottet s brother allegedly shared matters because readers are looking for a useful answer, not just a short summary. Good content should match search intent and help them decide what to do next.
