Liberal operative was offered $1,000 to get media to cover ‘grubby rumour’ minister was having affair, Icac hears

Sharangan Maheswaran says his bid for story on unsubstantiated rumour about then-Liberal minister David Elliott was ‘not a serious offer’

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A lawyer for fugitive property developer Jean Nassif offered a Liberal operative $1,000 if he could get media to write about an unsubstantiated extramarital affair and breach of Covid-19 restrictions by a New South Wales minister, the anti-corruption watchdog has heard.

Sharangan Maheswaran told the Independent Commission Against Corruption a message to lobbyist Jeremy Greenwood about placing a story about former Liberal minister David Elliott, was “not a serious offer”. He was shown a message to Greenwood in which he wrote he was “not joking”.