Key facts
- A document titled 'David Elliott shit sheet' was created by young conservative power brokers in the NSW Liberal party.
- The document alleged former NSW Liberal minister David Elliott had an extramarital affair, which he denies.
- The Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) is investigating the group for alleged illegal donations and branch stacking.
- The group allegedly received instructions from fugitive property developer Jean Nassif.
- The inquiry is also examining alleged payments from Angus Taylor to the Reformers, which Taylor denies.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) is investigating allegations of corruption within the NSW Liberal party, focusing on a group known as the Reformers and their alleged practice of 'branch stacking' through illegal donations. During the third day of hearings, evidence emerged of a document, allegedly titled 'David Elliott shit sheet', created by the Reformers. This document contained claims of an extramarital affair by former NSW Liberal minister David Elliott, which Elliott vehemently denies. A former staffer, Dylan Whitelaw, testified that he accepted under cross-examination that no affair had occurred. Whitelaw stated that the Reformers, part of the Liberal hard right faction, had a 'large distaste' for Elliott, who belongs to the centre-right faction. He believes the document was prepared at the instruction of fugitive property developer Jean Nassif, who is also being investigated for allegedly providing donations in exchange for outcomes, including damage to Elliott's career. Whitelaw recalled being told by other Reformers members that they possessed photographic evidence of the alleged affair, though he did not recall writing the specific section himself. The inquiry also heard about an incident in 2020 where Elliott, as police minister, was criticised for firing a machine gun at a corrections facility, and Whitelaw confirmed he was asked to write about this. Separately, the inquiry examined alleged payments that federal opposition leader Angus Taylor purportedly agreed to make to the Reformers, which Taylor has denied. Evidence suggested that monthly payments from Catholic Schools NSW to a lobbyist controlled by Reformers members were for the group's work rather than for minimal services rendered. The hearings also touched upon an alleged plan by a former chief of staff to discredit the building commissioner, David Chandler, using a potentially damaging video. Chandler later resigned after an investigation requested by then-fair trading minister Eleni Petinos, but was cleared of wrongdoing. Nassif had allegedly claimed he paid for Chandler's removal and that the fair trading minister would be 'one of my girls'.