John Pesutto’s chief of staff warned him to act with caution after rally

A security threat briefly shut down the defamation battle between Moira Deeming and John Pesutto after a man carrying a bunch of eggs was discovered in court.

A security threat briefly shut down the high-profile defamation battle between ousted Liberal Moira Deeming and Opposition Leader John Pesutto after a man with a bunch of eggs was discovered in court.

The Federal Court suddenly adjourned for 30 minutes in the middle of a witness’s evidence on Friday when a man dressed like a security worker was found in courtroom 6K with a bunch of eggs.

The Herald Sun understands the man was heard asking members of the public gallery where Mrs Deeming typically sat in the courtroom minutes before the hearing was due to resume after a lunch break.

Security guards were alerted to the man in the cap and confiscated his eggs before he was removed from the building.

The man was reportedly heard asking members of the public gallery where Mrs Deeming typically sat. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

The hearing was shut down for half an hour when Justice David O’Callaghan became aware of the security issue, suddenly adjourning the court in the middle of a witness’s cross-examination, at about 2.40pm.

Witness and former director of communications to Mr Pesutto, Nick Johnston, was told the adjournment had “nothing to do” with him as security guards were asked to check outside the courtroom.

It’s understood legal counsel Sue Chrysanthou SC and Dr Matt Collins SC, who could be seen walking out of the courtroom together, then met with His Honour to discuss the issue, before the hearing resumed about 3.10pm.

A man dressed like a security worker was found in courtroom 6K with a bunch of eggs.

After the day’s evidence, security guards escorted both Mrs Deeming and Mr Pesutto out of the courtroom and to a special exit.

A Federal Court of Australia spokesman said: “The hearing of the Deeming v Pesutto trial was stood down briefly this afternoon to deal with a security issue. The hearing resumed once the issue was dealt with.”

The drama unfolded on the last day of witness evidence in the defamation trial, where Mrs Deeming is suing her former leader alleging he painted her as a Nazi sympathiser after white supremacists gatecrashed a rally she helped organise in March 2023.

The hearing was shut down for half an hour. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Mrs Deeming was suspended and later expelled from the party.

Earlier in the day, Mr Pesutto’s then-chief of staff warned him to “act with caution” after Moira Deeming organised a rally gatecrashed by neo-Nazis but his advice was ignored before the Opposition Leader moved to expel her from the Liberal Party.

A Federal Court defamation trial on Friday heard an expulsion of the controversial MP was considered to “enhance the Victorian Liberal Party’s reputation amongst members of the public”.

Mrs Deeming is suing Mr Pesutto, accusing him of painting her as a Nazi sympathiser after white supremacists performed disgraceful salutes on the steps of parliament at a Let Women Speak rally on March 18, 2023.

The Opposition Leader’s former chief of staff took the stand on Friday where he told the court he “certainly thought” the decision to expel Mrs Deeming from the party would have “an impact” on the MPs reputation.

Rodrigo Pintos-Lopez and Nick Johnston, Mr Pesutto’s former director of communications. Picture: Acumen Advisory

Rodrigo Pintos-Lopez agreed with Mrs Deeming’s barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC that, for that reason, he believed “Mr Pesutto should act with caution” the day after the rally in deciding whether to make moves to oust her from the party.

“And you advised him to act with caution … and you advised him not to act on that Sunday?” Ms Chrysanthou asked.

Mr Pintos-Lopez said he didn’t remember Mr Pesutto not agreeing with his advice “but my instructions were to proceed”.

The chief of staff – who was in the job for just a few days – then compiled a dossier of alleged associations between rally co-organisers and neo-Nazis and far right activists.

Mr Pesutto leaving court. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

This dossier, later distributed to Liberal MPs and the media, was read to Mrs Deeming during a secretly recorded leadership meeting on March 19, and became the basis for Mr Pesutto moving a motion to expel her.

Ms Chrysanthou challenged the research of Mr Pintos-Lopez, a lawyer, asking if he was “embarrassed” to have used Wikipedia as a source for the dossier.

The barrister put to him that he’d made a “tenuous link” between rally organiser and British gender activist Kellie-Jay Keen and neo-Nazis, and had “deliberately excluded” exculpatory information from the dossier in a “dishonest” move to pressure Mrs Deeming to resign from the party.

Mr Pintos-Lopez denied this.

Mr Pesutto’s former director of communications Nick Johnston is expected to give evidence this afternoon.

The trial, before Justice David O’Callaghan, is expected to wind up on Friday, with closing submissions to be adjourned to late October.