NSW ICAC inquiry into Liberal Party's Reformers faction and alleged illegal donations
Consensus Summary
The ICAC inquiry into NSW Liberal Party’s Reformers faction has focused on Jean-Claude Perrottet, the younger brother of former premier Dominic Perrottet, who testified about his role in recruiting members to branches not controlled by the right faction. Perrottet admitted performing factional duties while employed by Damien Tudehope, despite rules prohibiting such work, and confirmed the Reformers targeted specific branches like Mitchell and Berowra. The inquiry has also examined allegations of illegal donations, with Perrottet’s redundancy from Catholic Schools NSW in June [DATE UNVERIFIED] coinciding with the inquiry’s start. Damien Tudehope, who employed Perrottet and admitted leaking a confidential report, has stepped aside from shadow cabinet roles. The Reformers, led by figures like Christian Ellis and Robert Assaf, are accused of using branch stacking and illegal funds to influence preselections, with connections to Catholic Schools NSW and business figures like Michael O’Hara. The inquiry has revealed close ties among the Perrottet, Assaf, and Tudehope families, with multiple members working at Catholic Schools NSW or involved in the Reformers’ activities.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Jean-Claude Perrottet worked in Damien Tudehope’s electorate office in 2018 and ministerial office in 2019, where he was involved in recruiting and renewing Liberal Party members
- Jean-Claude Perrottet admitted in ICAC testimony that the Reformers targeted branches not controlled by the right faction, including messages referencing 'dodgy Branch' and specific branches like Mitchell and Berowra
- Damien Tudehope admitted leaking a confidential draft report from the 2023 parliamentary inquiry to Jeremy Greenwood in February 2023, and has stepped aside from shadow cabinet roles during the ICAC inquiry
- The Perrottet family has 12 children, with Anne and John Perrottet being the parents; Jean-Claude is the 3rd child and Charles is the 4th
- Robert Assaf and Grace Assaf (now Sister Mariam) took vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience with the Dominican Sisters of St Cecilia in Nashville, US
- Jean-Claude Perrottet was found not guilty of rape in the NSW District Court in 2017, stemming from an incident in 2015 at St John’s College, Sydney University
- Jean-Claude Perrottet was in Fiji during the 2023 parliamentary inquiry into the Reformers allegations
- Dominic Perrottet (former NSW premier) is not accused of wrongdoing and referred the 2022 allegations to ICAC
- Jean-Claude Perrottet joined the Liberal Party in 2015 and became a member of the Reformers in 2018
- Damien Tudehope has nine children, and his son James also worked at Catholic Schools NSW
- Jean-Claude Perrottet sent a text message in 2019 complaining about not being paid for Reformers work, stating Catholic Schools NSW was paying $135,000 for Rob Assaf to work for the faction
- Jean-Claude Perrottet and Christian Ellis asked businessman Frits Maré to contribute $50,000 in 2020 to unseat federal MP Alex Hawke
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Jean-Claude Perrottet’s T-shirt at the family photo bears the number 3, matching his birth order, and Charles Perrottet is number 4
- Jean-Claude Perrottet was taken through his employment history, which included a stint in Damien Tudehope’s office and Catholic Schools NSW, where he was promoted in May 2026 before being made redundant in June 2026
- Jean-Claude Perrottet joked in a text with Robert Assaf about Hannah Dobson being a nun, saying it was the 'only problem Reformers sign-ups would ever have'
- Grace Assaf (now Sister Mariam) first encountered the Nashville Dominicans when they visited her high school, Tangara, in 2021
- Jean-Claude Perrottet’s text message about Rob Assaf’s salary of $135,000 was later confirmed as accurate, and he admitted he was frustrated at the time
- Jean-Claude Perrottet was summoned to a meeting with Dallas McInerney and Monica Assaf (legal officer) in June 2026 before his redundancy
- Jean-Claude Perrottet’s brother Charles (number 4) is also a key person of interest in the ICAC inquiry
- Damien Tudehope was fired from his ministerial office role in mid-2019 due to 'blowback' after Jean-Claude Perrottet featured in a newspaper article
- Jean-Claude Perrottet described the Perrottet family as having 'a fair bit of pushing and shoving' with 12 children
- Jean-Claude Perrottet’s father, John Perrottet, is on leave from the Catholic Schools NSW board
- Jean-Claude Perrottet was described as 'passionate' about his work for the Reformers, with a 2019 text message from Jeremy Greenwood calling him 'Claude either needs a Valium or a break from the faction work to rest'
- Jean-Claude Perrottet admitted he sometimes did factional duties while working for Damien Tudehope, though he was unsure if Tudehope was aware
- Jean-Claude Perrottet denied leaving his job with Tudehope solely because he wanted to be paid for Reformers work, saying he was 'having a crack at Christian Ellis'
- Jean-Claude Perrottet was quizzed about a 2019 text message where he wrote 'These c**** have just gone soft', referring to MPs being scared of ICAC investigations
- Jean-Claude Perrottet was promoted to head of communications at Catholic Schools NSW in May 2026 but made redundant in June 2026, with the timing coinciding with the ICAC inquiry
- Jean-Claude Perrottet was in Fiji during the 2023 parliamentary inquiry, as claimed by Damien Tudehope
- Jean-Claude Perrottet was questioned about whether he knew the ministerial staff code of conduct restricted staff from doing party political work while on the clock
- Jean-Claude Perrottet admitted the Reformers were involved in recruiting members to branches not controlled by the right faction, including Mitchell and Berowra
- Jean-Claude Perrottet was questioned about a document outlining a plan to place Reformers in conservative MP offices in NSW parliament
- Jean-Claude Perrottet denied that one of the ways the Reformers were paid for their factional work was to be paid as ministerial staffers
- Jean-Claude Perrottet held rosary beads during his ICAC testimony and appeared frustrated at times
- Jean-Claude Perrottet was questioned about a 2019 text message where he wrote 'The whole drive he was just muttering different movements into Pennant Hills and Cheltenham'
- Jean-Claude Perrottet said he was not sure whether Damien Tudehope was aware he was doing factional work while on the clock
- Jean-Claude Perrottet was questioned about a 2020 text message expressing frustration about not being paid for his work with the Reformers after leaving Tudehope’s office
- Jean-Claude Perrottet will return as a witness to the inquiry on Thursday, with another brother, Charles Perrottet, also expected to appear
- Jean-Claude Perrottet was described as 'passionate' about his work trying to get right-wing control of Liberal Party branches
- Jean-Claude Perrottet was questioned about a 2018 message where Christian Ellis wrote 'Two people happy to go into dodgy Branch'
- Jean-Claude Perrottet admitted the Reformers were involved in recruiting members to branches not controlled by the right faction
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The SMH states Jean-Claude Perrottet was made redundant at Catholic Schools NSW because of the imminent corruption inquiry, while the Guardian and ABC only report he was told the office was being restructured and he agreed with the suggestion his days were numbered due to the inquiry
- The SMH states Jean-Claude Perrottet’s text message about Rob Assaf’s $135,000 salary was later confirmed as accurate, but Jean-Claude initially claimed he 'probably concocted it out of thin air'
- The Guardian states Jean-Claude Perrottet was unsure if Damien Tudehope was aware he was doing factional work while on the clock, while the ABC reports he said he 'probably would've been aware in some notion that you shouldn't do factional work'
- The SMH states Jean-Claude Perrottet was fired from Damien Tudehope’s ministerial office in mid-2019 due to 'blowback' after featuring in a newspaper article, while the Guardian states he was terminated in July 2019 and the article was 'probably the precipitating event' for his dismissal
Source Articles
From ‘Nun Runs’ to factional funds: ICAC’s unholy six degrees of separation
A small group of people from a number of large families feature prominently in a bombshell inquiry into branch stacking and illegal donations.
NSW Liberal leader defers decision on frontbencher Damien Tudehope after leak revelations at Icac
Kellie Sloane says ‘leaking a report is never good’ as Reformer Jean-Claude Perrottet tells inquiry group signed up members to ‘dodgy’ branches Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The younger brother of a former Liberal premier has told an anti-corruption watchdog that a group of young conservative power breakers, now under investigation for soliciting illegal donations, recruited members to “dodgy” branches controll
Perrottet's brother admits factional work while employed by MP
The brother of former NSW premier Dominic Perrottet says he undertook factional work while on the clock for another MP in his first appearance before a corruption inquiry.
The Icac spotlight has shone on Dominic Perrottet’s brother – and it won’t be the last we hear from his family
Jean-Claude Perrottet was questioned at the Operation Rosny hearings about the actions of the NSW Liberals’ hard-right Reformers faction Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast It’s perhaps inevitable that in a large family there might be one member who is a bit of a wild card. It’s more problematic when that family has a distinctive surname and one is a public figure. Continue reading...
‘Scott and Damien are afraid’: senior Liberal quizzed at Icac about former staffer’s message
NSW shadow attorney general, Damien Tudehope, tells inquiry Jean-Claude Perrottet had a talent for recruiting A senior New South Wales Liberal says the younger brother of former Liberal premier Dominic Perrottet had a “talent” for recruiting and renewing new members to the party, a corruption inquiry has heard. On Tuesday, Damien Tudehope, the NSW shadow attorney general and Liberal leader in the upper house, gave evidence as part of the Independent Commission Against Corruption ’s (Icac) Operat