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‘Fix this’: $2.3m costs ruling could break Pesutto, trigger byelection

Sumeyya Ilanbey

A defiant John Pesutto has vowed to fight to remain in the Victorian parliament and avoid bankruptcy after the Federal Court ordered him to pay $2.3 million of his Liberal colleague Moira Deeming’s legal fees following her high-stakes case against him.

The former Victorian opposition leader has already paid Deeming $315,000 in damages after Justice David O’Callaghan last year found the former leader defamed her on five occasions by falsely implying she associated with neo-Nazis.

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Sumeyya Ilanbey is the Victorian political correspondent for The Australian Financial Review. Connect with Sumeyya on Twitter. Email Sumeyya at sumeyya.ilanbey@afr.com.au

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    Original URL: https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/ex-victorian-lib-leader-faces-bankruptcy-after-2-4m-defamation-order-20250516-p5lzqc