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Jami-Lee
Ross: 'I believe Simon Bridges is a corrupt politician'
RNZ,
17
October, 2018
National
MP Jami-Lee Ross is to resign his seat and step down from the
National Party, and will stand as an independent in any by-election
for his Botany seat.
Speaking
to media at Parliament in a stand-up that lasted almost an hour, he
alleged Mr Bridges had broken electoral donation law and said he
would put in an official police complaint.
Watch
Jami-Lee Ross speaking to media at Parliament:
Mr
Ross said he had had a mental breakdown as pressure was ramped up on
him to leave the party.
Mr
Ross was speaking as MPs met in caucus to decide whether to suspend
him after leader National leader Simon Bridges yesterday identified
Mr Ross as the likely leaker of his travel expenses. Minutes before
this was revealed, Mr Ross went on Twitter with a range of
allegations against the leader.
Mr
Ross said today it was clear he'd had a falling out with with leader
Simon Bridges.
He
said he once thought Mr Bridges was capable of being Prime Minster,
"but now that I see what he's really like it is clear that he's
not".
"Simon
is a flawed individual without a moral compass."
Mr
Ross said Mr Bridges breached electoral law several times, and that
it was not acceptable.
"I
believe Simon Bridges is a corrupt politician," he said.
He
alleged Mr Bridges had carried out unlawful activity relating to
election donations, including activity which Mr Bridges denied
yesterday.
"Certainly
I reject any allegation of the sort in terms of unlawful activity,
it's simply not true," Mr Bridges told media yesterday.
Mr
Ross claimed that Mr Bridges asked him to collect a $100,000 donation
from a wealthy businessman and was at pains to point out the donation
should not be made public. He said the donation was split into
smaller amounts below the $15,000 declaration threshold.
He
said he would release photos to prove the meeting between the
businessman and Mr Bridges took place.
Mr
Ross said his dramatic falling-out with Mr Bridges was the reason he
was the target of a campaign to push him out of the party.
The
campaign started three weeks ago, he said.
He
was "marched to Simon Bridges' office" where he was told
four women had approached deputy leader Paula Bennett, claiming Mr
Ross had harassed them. He said Mr Bridges asked him to resign his
portfolios, leave Parliament, and return to the backbench at the
beginning of next year.
He
strenously denied allegations he had harrassed anyone.
Mr
Ross said was deeply hurt that Mr Bridges characterised his health
problems as embarrassing.
He
said his mental health was better now, and a doctor had told him he
was fit to make his own decisions about his career.
Mr
Ross said he did not leak Mr Bridges' expenses, but he leaked the
text message from the person who did, which said the person who had
leaked the information was in a fragile mental state, and asking for
the inquiry into the leak to be called off.
He
said the Botany by-election would be a referendum on Mr Bridges'
leadership.
Fanning
the flames: Ross tweets photos of meeting at centre of National
allegations
RNZ,
18 October
Jami-Lee
Ross has added fuel to the fire, tweeting photos of a fundraiser
attended by Simon Bridges and a businessman, where he alleges a
$100,000 donation to the party was offered.
Jami-Lee Ross addresses media Photo: RNZ/ Rebekah Parsons-King
He
has also tweeted photos of a meeting between Mr Bridges and the
businessman Yikun Zhang at a private dinner, which Mr Ross says he
attended, in May.
Mr
Ross claimed that Mr Bridges asked him to collect a $100,000 donation
from a wealthy businessman and was at pains to point out the donation
should not be made public. He said the donation was split into
smaller amounts below the $15,000 declaration threshold.
He
has now released photos on Twitter claiming proof of the meeting
between the businessman and Mr Bridges.
The
source of the photos appear to be from a post on Chinese social
network Weibo.
The
Shadow Leader of the House Gerry Brownlee has told the Speaker to
strike Mr Ross from their Parliamentary list, after the National
caucus unanimously voted to expel him.
Ahead
of Question Time today, the Speaker Trevor Mallard stood and informed
the House that the National Party Parliamentary membership had
changed.
Mr
Ross' profile on the National Party website has also been quite
promptly removed.
Photo: RNZ
It
follows on from yesterday when Mr Bridges said an inquiry into a leak
on his expenses identified Mr Ross as the likely culprit.
Mr
Ross denied those claims and said Mr Bridges was attempting to use
his contact with a local police area commander and a journalist as
evidence that he was somehow involved.
To see more GO HERE
Simon Bridges could face jail if Jami-Lee Ross' corruption claims are true - law expert
Just so we’re clear, JLR is accusing SiBri of committing offences that carry a 2 year jail term and lead to automatic expulsion from Parliament (upon conviction).legislation.govt.nz/act/public/199…legislation.govt.nz/act/public/199…
National
leader Simon Bridges could face jail if the sensational corruption
allegations rogue MP Jami-Lee Ross levelled at him are found to be
true, a law expert says.
Mr
Ross accused his former boss Mr Bridges of electoral fraud in a
bombshell news conference held on Tuesday morning.
University
of Otago law professor Andrew Geddis says the alleged offence carries
a two-year prison sentence, and would “lead to automatic expulsion
from Parliament”.
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