Explosive phone recordings played before a state corruption inquiry have revealed that fugitive property developer Jean Nassif offered to financially back the political ambitions of one of former NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet’s brothers.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is currently probing whether individuals associated with the NSW Liberal Party solicited funds from prohibited donors, including property developers, to bolster the influence of the party's right-wing "Reformers" faction.

Investigators are analyzing whether donations linked to Mr. Nassif were promised in exchange for political interventions. These allegedly included efforts to derail the career of former minister David Elliott and orchestrate the removal of state building commissioner David Chandler.

The $100,000 Preselection Offer

In a recorded phone call from June 2021, Mr. Nassif was heard discussing business ventures with Jean-Claude Perrottet—who was working at Medallion Finance at the time—before the conversation pivoted sharply to factional politics.

During the intercepted call, Mr. Nassif proposed directing $100,000 toward a preselection campaign for one of the Perrottet brothers, or alternatively routing the funds through Liberal party figures Jeremy Greenwood and Christian Ellis.

When questioned at the hearing about which brother Mr. Nassif was referring to, Jean-Claude Perrottet claimed ignorance. "I don't know what he's talking about, to be honest. It's clear it makes no sense," Mr. Perrottet testified.

Counsel assisting the commission, Juliet Curtin, put forward that the recording demonstrated members of the Reformers faction actively seeking financial support for their internal party operations, and that Mr. Nassif was willing to provide it. Mr. Perrottet rejected this assertion, labeling the developer's comments as "nonsense" and urging the commission to listen to the skeptical tone of his voice during the call.

Former Premier Dominic Perrottet, who personally referred the allegations to the corruption watchdog in 2022, is not accused of any wrongdoing.

Internal Party Warfare Exposed

A second wiretapped call painted a vivid picture of the factional warfare playing out within the NSW Liberal Party. In the recording, Mr. Nassif complained bitterly about being targeted by building commissioner David Chandler, claiming that senior political figures were actively working to undermine Dominic Perrottet's leadership.

Mr. Nassif was heard rallying behind the Perrottet family, stating he had his entire community backing them. When the discussion turned to local factional battles in the electorates of Castle Hill and Baulkham Hills, Jean-Claude Perrottet replied to the developer: "Help in that area would be awesome."

He also thanked Mr. Nassif for his ongoing support, saying, "It's making a difference, the work you're doing." Facing questions at the inquiry, Mr. Perrottet dismissed his own statements as mere "throwaway comments."

Unexplained Monthly Payments

The corruption inquiry also turned its focus to a series of regular $5,000 monthly payments received by Jean-Claude Perrottet. Text messages presented to the commission showed Mr. Perrottet coordinating with party figure Christian Ellis to secure the funds.

The payments were issued by Beckington, a company with commercial ties to Catholic Schools NSW and prominent hotelier Michael O'Hara. When pressed on what services he provided to earn the monthly retainer, Mr. Perrottet told the commission he could not recall what work he had performed.

In the text exchanges, Mr. Perrottet asked Mr. Ellis to transfer the funds, to which Mr. Ellis replied: "It's $5k, not five-and-a-half, you sneaky man." Further messages showed Mr. Ellis instructing Mr. Perrottet on how to structure his invoices to incorporate GST within the $5,000 limit.

Asked if the messages proved he was receiving cash funded indirectly by Mr. O'Hara, Mr. Perrottet stated, "I honestly don't recall whether that's the case."

Fleeing to Fiji During Parliamentary Probe

The commission also scrutinized Mr. Perrottet’s decision to travel to Fiji in 2023, precisely when a parliamentary inquiry was actively seeking his testimony regarding illegal developer donations.

Evidence tendered to the commission indicated that Mr. Perrottet’s travel was financially assisted by individuals named in the active corruption allegations. When asked if the international trip was a deliberate ploy to evade the parliamentary summons, Mr. Perrottet denied the accusation but blasted the process.

"I went to Fiji because I was not in a good place and I didn't want to partake in what I believed is a sham inquiry," Mr. Perrottet told the commission.

The public hearings continue as the watchdog seeks to untangle the web of factional influence and undisclosed financial pipelines.