Claims about Boothby candidate Jo Dyer’s sexual history with Christian Porter in new book

A new book out this week claims a woman who led efforts to bring down Christian Porter over historical rape allegations had a sexual history with him, but did not declare it.

Failed independent Boothby candidate Jo Dyer did not disclose her sexual history with former attorney-general Christian Porter, despite leading efforts to bring him down over historical rape allegations.

According to a new book, Ego, to be released this week, Mr Porter told friends he and Ms Dyer had slept together when they were university students at debating competitions.

Mr Porter retired from politics after becoming embroiled in a political controversy over historical allegations that he raped an Adelaide woman called “Kate” on a university debating trip in Sydney in 1988.

After not speaking for decades, Kate approached university debating teammate Ms Dyer in 2019 for help with the allegations, which Mr Porter has vehemently denied. He was also never charged with any offence.

The new book claims Ms Dyer had sexual history with Christian Porter. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Kelly Barnes

Kate brought her claims to police in February 2020 but decided to stop pursuing the matter in June that year, before taking her own life.

Senior Australian Financial Review journalist Aaron Patrick’s new book includes the claims about Mr Porter’s and Ms Dyer’s sexual history.

“Dyer knew Porter from debating too. Porter told friends he and Dyer slept together when they were university students at debating competitions,” the book says.

“Dyer described their encounter as ‘entirely inconsequential and statistically insignificant’.”

The Australian reported Mr Patrick took this “as confirmation”.

In a separate interview last year, Ms Dyer said it was on the “public record” that she and Mr Porter “got on well when we first met but there was never anything serious between us”.

Christian Porter at press conference, where he denied the rape allegations. He later retired from politics.

The well-known arts administrator was the leading force behind making Kate’s allegations public, doing interviews with ABC’s Four Corners program and successfully launching legal action against Mr Porter to block barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC from acting for him in defamation proceedings, alleging a conflict of interest.

Mr Porter and the ABC settled defamation proceedings. He and Ms Chrysanthou were ordered to pay Ms Dyer $430,000 in legal costs for her fight to remove the lawyer.

The Advertiser has contacted Ms Dyer and Mr Porter’s lawyer for comment.

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