Labor staffer Jeffrey O’Donnell admits lying to corruption watchdog to hide election rort
A former Melton Citizen of the Year and Labor Party autism advocate has admitted to lying to Victoria’s corruption watchdog in an attempt to cover up an alleged taxpayer-funded election rort.
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A former Labor staffer is likely to avoid jail despite lying to the state’s corruption watchdog to cover up a taxpayer-funded election rort.
Jeffrey O’Donnell, 54, pleaded guilty in the County Court yesterday to conspiracy to attempt to pervert the course of justice.
O’Donnell misled the independent Broad-Based Anti Corruption Commission with a “fabricated story” in an attempt to cover up an alleged rort concocted to ensure former Melton Labor Candidate Justin Mammarella won preselection.
O’Donnell told investigators 713 envelopes seized from the Cairnlea office of Labor MP Khalil Eideh were for an Autism mail out campaign.
Investigators suspected the envelopes were allegedly to be misused for Mammarella’s preselection campaign, the court heard.
It was later determined that each name on the envelopes were ALP Melton Branch members eligible to vote for preselection nominees.
The IBAC probe launched after the Herald Sun uncovered the printing rorts scandal in September 2017, the court heard.
Mammarella won preselection in November 2017 but later quit for “family reasons”.
O’Donnell – who was a volunteer at the Cairnlea office – discussed with Mammarella, and his father, Umberto (Robert) Mammarella what he would say to IBAC.
O’Donnell was hauled in for his first IBAC examination in February 2018.
O’Donnell, who has several dishonesty priors, joined the Labor Party in 1984 and has been a “close friend” of Mammarella Snr ever since.
The court heard O’Donnell regarded Mammarella Snr as a “second father” but that “deeply valued friendship had come to an end”.
O’Donnell, a former Melton Citizen of the Year in 1999, was also active within the community, especially with youth services.
Judge Liz Gaynor said she was strongly considering sentencing O’Donnell to a community correction order due to his “serious health concerns”.
“The major bar to imprisonment is health,” Judge Gaynor said.
“If he had been fit and well he may well have been looking at a combination sentence.”
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O’Donnell – who was also charged with making a false statement – will be sentenced on May 1.
The Mammarellas are awaiting trial, which is slated to start on October 26.
A fourth person, Angela Scarpaci, was sentenced last December to a 30-month community corrections order after pleading guilty to similar charges.