SFO don’t consider ‘pretty legal’ as a defence

By
Martyn Bradbury
-
36
1963

When National ripped of Eminem’s music for their political advert, National Party Campaign manager Steven Joyce defended the use as “Pretty legal“.

Turns out the SFO don’t consider ‘pretty legal’ as a defence…

SFO files criminal charges over National Party donations

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is pursuing criminal charges over an alleged $100,000 donation to National, but not against the party or its leader Simon Bridges.

…Let’s be clear, this is fucking enormous.

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The SFO have traditionally run a thousand miles from ever getting involved in election donation issues and only press charges if they really have to, so they have clearly uncovered something and it’s rotten.

Of course, the real issue here isn’t so much how they laundered the money, the real issue here is how a rich Chinese businessmen openly asked to have two Chinese candidates bought and paid for on the National Party list.

This is a Party that already has an alleged Chinese spy in their caucus, many MPs have personal relationships with rich Chinese businessmen and Simon Bridges recently met the head of the Chinese secret police and praised them despite their Muslim concentration camps.

Sure, we should hold National to account for any breaches of law, but the real issue here is Beijing’s influence over the largest political party in NZ.

36 COMMENTS

  1. I am half expecting the SFO to later claim that there was no evidence of criminal activity found and the donations were perfectly legal and voluntary by those making the donations.

    National will get away with everything with a slap on the hand with a wet bus ticket.

  2. What ever finally pushed Jami Lee Ross’ buttons, he did the country a great service by releasing the recordings of Mr Bridges talking as powerful people do when they think they are unobserved. Will the SFO use the recordings? because they certainly drop the Nats in it, however much legal commentators like Mr Geddis try and minimise what happened and quote obscure points of law at us non lawyers.

    In a sick twist it could even be possible JLR might be one of the four charged! hopefully not given his whistleblowing role.

    Simon Bridges is well practised at throwing people under the bus to save his arse, and at not supporting his Caucus and party members in a tight spot so no news there. The Chinese connection is becoming more apparent, and harder to hide for the Nats which is another useful feature of this case. Will “Nats in court over donation fraud” be top of the page stuff, Hosking and co breathlessly discussing it for weeks and demanding Bridges resign? Nah. Not in your dreams.

    • What ever finally pushed Jami Lee Ross’ buttons, he did the country a great service by releasing the recordings

      He did. We owe him. (And I hope he gets in again.)

    • Bridges threw JLR under the bus to protect his and Brownlee’s fat arse as Bridges didn’t want Brownlee throwing bricks from the second row benches.
      Bridges will require a lawyer me thinks.

  3. SFO becoming relevant post wine box, who knew!

    Good move though.

    Essentially NZ has allowed foreign or NZ nationals to donate into MP seats and start making NZ laws for themselves and sitting on influential committees (aka Jian Yang former Spy teacher at PLA-run languages school conveniently left off his visa application to NZ and CV).

    The NZ electoral and political system is making a mockery of transparency by allowing so many loop holes that are called donations but seem to be ‘pretty legal’ bribes. Like the Hagamans who coincidently got a huge taxpayer contract in Niue after a political donation to Natz that we are not allowed to talk about anymore in case someone is sued repeatedly even from the grave on behalf).

    Sounds like democracy and not corruption. NOT.

    • Thats how bent politicians operate when they think no one is listening, or recording…

      If the Labour/Green/NZ First leaders had said what Mr Bridges did, there would be calls for their public execution from Hooton, Soper etc. etc.

      Basically the Nats are looking after their 1%er backers, offering “pay for candidate deals” and pissing over the rest of us and our electoral system. And the NZ National Party have the cheek to still wank on about Labour having “stolen” the 2017 election!

      • In Nat party scenes where cash is the king
        When west meets east here’s what they say

        When the shite hits your eye like a big pizza pie , that’s the Law , eh….
        When the world all declines like you’ve had too much wine , – that’s the Law eh….

        Phones will ring ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling
        And you’ll sing ” brutta vita””
        Hearts will beat fast , going tippy-tippy-tay, tippy-tippy-tay
        Like a half squashed tarantella

        When the news paints you a fool just like a pasta fazool , that’s the Law eh…,
        When your marched down the street with a cop at your feet , – You’re in cuffs,
        When you walk down in a dream but you know you’re not Dreaming signore,
        Scusami me,- but you see, back in old NZ laws , – that’s the Law eh…

        ( sung to the tune of That’s Amore’ by Dean Martin)

  6. You may believe this is “enormous” but in reality no one really cares. It’s a nothing story that will not deliver the left, one more vote.

    • What ever happened to John Keys tax-havens he was nurturing like a Queen bee ,.. last time we all checked into that , most of them evaporated after :

      A / He lost power and ,

      B/ The IMF issued warnings to him and Blinglish that NZ was enabling a tax haven in this country.

      Which kind of takes the gloss off your claim. No one wants a corrupt govt and thus they were voted out. As they will be this coming election. I don’t know where you come from but from where I do, – we don’t take kindly to corruption in our political ELECTED representatives.

      We don’t pay these politicians a handsome salary to make a mockery of our laws , either.

    • Maybe MickeyBoyle but it certainly shows National and that they will do anything to be in power, including kicking people out of state housing. It is concrete evidence they are for the rich at the expense of everything else. Corrupt is not to strong a word.

    • Right leaning voters won’t care one iota such is the low morals that surround them but anyone with a shred of integrity should.

  7. I hope Jamie Lee gets in again. It took remarkable strength of character to come out with that info as he did. We need more of that. It would be so good if he did manage to beat the uber-rich corporate ceo over the line.

    • I still find it interesting that Bennett took the moral high ground on JLR affair with Downie, yet protected her even though the same morals were not accorded her?

      • Bennett has a moral high ground?

        Wow. First I knew of it …

        (All I’ve ever seen is posing, posturing and charades.)

    • Well , while there aint no tapes available about the latest skulduggery , … there certainly is an alleged CCP spy trainer still in the Natz.

      And that isn’t a good look now, isn’t it.

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