Ashbygate, NRA, punch ups: Times James Ashby has survived political assassination

Private meetings with the NRA, Peter Slipper’s diary, a bloody fight with a Senator ... James Ashby’s name has been linked to a number of political scandals, and he’s survived every one.

No other political adviser has hit the headlines as many times as James Ashby.

The outspoken chief of staff for Australia’s most polarising politician, Pauline Hanson — she calls him her “adopted son” — Ashby quickly rose to notoriety after quitting his journalism career to pursue one in politics in 2011.

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While he has more than a few spats and scandals to his name, so far he has managed to dodge political assassination.

Here’s how Ashby became a headline grabber and the biggest stories where his name has appeared since then:

2012: Peter Slipper

Ashby was at the centre of Peter Slipper’s eventual downfall. Picture: Sam Mooy

While serving as a media adviser to the then Federal MP for the seat of Fisher, Peter Slipper, Ashby alleged he was a victim of sexual harassment and released hundreds of documents, including text messages between the pair.

At the time it was shown that Slipper and Ashby had engaged in long text exchanges where sex was a major theme. In December 2012 the allegations were dismissed in court however in 2014 Ashby won his appeal against this decision. He later dropped the lawsuit entirely. Slipper, who later served as house speaker, has always denied the allegations.

A much younger James Ashby during his court case against then MP Peter Slipper. Picture: News Corp Australia

2012: Barnaby Joyce and Bob Carr

Barnaby Joyce once said Ashby was only “slightly less dodgy than Slipper”. Picture: Andy Rogers

After becoming known as the Slipper whistleblower, Ashby took aim at then Foreign Minister Bob Carr and Barnaby Joyce. He accused them both of victimising him under the Sex Discrimination Act and threatened to sue. Carr had used Twitter to accuse Ashby of being “more rehearsed than a kabuki actor” while Joyce said Ashby “seems only slightly less dodgy than Slipper”. Carr then refused to withdraw his comments.

2014: Christopher Pyne

One of the Liberal party’s longest serving MPs, Christopher Pyne was once dragged into an Ashby claim that he promised to get him out of Peter Slipper’s office. Pyne maintained no job was ever provided for Ashby. Picture: AAP

Ashby then dragged Christopher Pyne into his claim, telling Channel 9 the South Australian MP offered him legal support and a job. Pyne said he indicated to Ashby that if they won the Queensland state election there would be a chance to get him out of Slipper’s office. No job was ever provided for Ashby. The then PM Tony Abbott described the Slipper v Ashby ordeal as a “squalid, sordid, miserable period in our national life”.

2015: Mal Brough

Former Sunshine Coast MP Mal Brough was stood down as Special Minister of State after he admitted to asking James Ashby to provide a copy of Peter Slipper’s diary. Brough was eventually forced out of the Turnbull ministry. Picture: AAP

Mal Brough, a former Howard minister who replaced Slipper in Fisher, admitted he asked Ashby to provide a copy of Slipper’s diary because he “believed Peter Slipper had committed a crime” — defrauding the Commonwealth. The AFP raided Ashby’s home and his parents’ home over allegations against Brough that copies of Slipper’s diaries were illegally obtained. In July 2015, Slipper was found guilty of three dishonesty charges over his misuse of the Cabcharge parliamentary allowance. He appealed the verdict and won; the convictions were thrown out. Brough was later forced to step aside as Special Minister of State.

After the Brough/Slipper scandal Ashby took time out from politics — only to later pick up a job with One Nation.

2016: Rod Culleton

Former One Nation senator Rodney Culleton with Pauline Hanson in happier times. Picture: AAP

Now firmly in a new role as Pauline Hanson’s adviser and sometimes pilot, the then One Nation senator Rod Culleton’s chief of staff alleged Ashby threw his phone at her. Hanson downplayed the incident at the time saying it was an underarm throw. Ashby was accused of having an argument with Margaret Menzel over a potential Facebook livestream. Menzel told News Corp at the time the argument became personal and alleged Ashby “lost the plot” and threw the phone at her. She was not hit by the phone. “My reflexes are pretty good for an old chick,” she said at the time.

Ashby was accused of throwing his phone at a former senator’s adviser in 2016. His boss Pauline Hanson said it was only an underarm throw. Picture: Annette Dew

2016: Ian Nelson

Former One Nation treasurer Ian Nelson claimed Ashby intimidated candidates into using his Sunshine Coast signage businesses. He also alleged that Ashby and Hanson had failed to disclose a donation that was used to buy a small plane that was used to ferry the One Nation leader around. Hanson and Ashby denied any wrongdoing.

2017: Shan Ju Lin

One Nation candidate Shan Ju Lin was dumped by One Nation after reportedly making anti-LGBTI posts on her Facebook. She later posted a text allegedly from Ashby which threatened legal action for sharing a link to a news report. “I’ve received threat from James Ashby,” she claimed. The so-called threats came as Hanson came under fire over claims she was a puppet under Ashby’s control.

2017: Pauline Hanson

Pauline Hanson and James Ashby. She has likened her right-hand hand to an “adopted son”. Picture: AAP

Ashby was forced to defend himself after a leaked recording quoted him stating plans to make money from One Nation candidates. The Courier Mail revealed the conversation which allegedly took place in a meeting where Hanson was also present. Ashby told the meeting ways they could profit from the state election, including selling items purchased for the campaign to candidates at inflated prices. Ashby defended himself, denying he was trying to rort taxpayers and said he was only “brainstorming”. “No, at no point have we ever intended to deceive the electoral commission,” he told ABC at the time. Queensland leader Steve Dickson, who is also embroiled in the recent NRA recordings scandal, defended Ashby at the time and said it was said during an “ideas meeting”.

2019: Brian Burston

Ashby’s scuffle with Brian Burston was caught on film. Picture: News Corp Australia

Ashby was barred from Parliament and his parliamentary pass revoked after an altercation with former One Nation senator Brian Burston. The pair fought over allegations against Burston that he sexually harassed a staffer. Burston hit out at Pauline Hanson at the time accusing her of making unwanted advances towards him, which she denied. In return, the One Nation leader used a Senate speech to accuse an unnamed senator of serious sexual harassment. Burston later confirmed it was him she was referring to but denied the claims. Burston was then embroiled in a violent scuffle with Ashby in Parliament House. Afterwards Burston appeared in the Senate with a bandaged hand. He alleged Ashby had approached him while leaving a function. He then claimed he was injured when he tried to grab a phone Ashby waved in his face. “I told him to f**k off … I lost it,” he told News Corp at the time.

Burston provided images of his bloodied hand after claiming he was assaulted by Ashby. Brian Burston

2019: Steve Dickson / NRA meeting

An Al Jazeera Investigations reporter filmed One Nation's trip to America to solicit funding from the powerful NRA. Ashby and Queensland Leader Steve Dickson were featured in the investigation. Picture: Supplied

Overnight Ashby was named in a new scandal after an Al Jazeera journalist secretly filmed him and fellow Queenslander Steve Dickson in talks with powerful US gun lobby, NRA. The pair were filmed asking for up to $20 million from the association, and it’s claimed the party asked for the cash to help it roll back Australia’s tough gun laws.

One Nation responded by asking Australian Federal Police and Australian Security Intelligence Organisation to investigate Al Jazeera’s reporting.