Craig Kelly’s staffer Frank Zumbo ‘threw chair, exposed penis’: court

Explosive claims about a political staffer’s treatment of a woman he allegedly called a “hot piece of ass” have been aired in court.

Former MP Craig Kelly’s office was marred by increasingly toxic behaviour as a court heard his chief of staff threw a chair at an employee he called a “hot piece of ass” and later exposed his penis to.

Francesco “Frank” Zumbo, 55, faced Sydney Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday, for the second day of a hearing to fight the 20 charges of assault against him.

Police allege the Maroubra resident indecently assaulted five women – including one teenager – on multiple occasions between 2014 and 2020.

Frank Zumbo attended the second day of his hearing. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

According to police allegations, Mr Zumbo kissed, rubbed, and groped the women while they worked at Liberal MP Craig Kelly’s office.

He has denied the 10 charges of common assault, seven counts of aggravated indecent assault, two counts of aggravated sexual touching without consent, and the charge of assault with an act of indecency.

On Thursday, the court heard from a second alleged victim and former employee of Mr Zumbo, who had met him through a university.

She said Mr Zumbo had offered to help her career and provide her with a role at Mr Kelly’s office.

“Initially the relationship was good, supportive and nurturing,” she said.

“He always said that he wanted to get young females into politics and no one else would get us there.”

The court heard Mr Zumbo was the most senior person in the majority-female office except when controversial politician Mr Kelly was present, which was “very rarely”.

Frank Zumbo’s legal team includes top lawyer Carolyn Davenport. Picture: Jeremy Piper

The alleged victim said her boss requested kisses on the cheek from her every day straight after she walked into the office, and would often escalate the interactions at each step.

“By the end of it, he was picking me up off the ground and rubbing me against him,” she said.

“It would gradually get (more intimate) and if you didn’t participate, you weren’t being a team player.”

The court heard he said kisses with employees were part of his “Italian culture”.

However, the court heard Mr Zumbo was prone to “volatile” outbursts and furious fights with his employees, after which they would be exiled and subjected to “silent treatment” until he felt they had apologised.

During one argument at the office, the alleged victim said Mr Kelly’s trusted right hand man had thrown a chair at her.

The court heard the toxic behaviour from their boss was so pervasive that the young women working at Mr Kelly’s Sutherland office formed a secret WhatsApp group called ‘Sisterhood of Trauma Support’.

Frank Zumbo is facing 20 charges of assault against former employees. Picture: Jeremy Piper

The group incorporated the ‘sisterhood’ name given to female employees by Mr Zumbo and the court heard the chat allowed them to discuss work-related issues without his knowledge.

The alleged victim told the court the long-serving political aide had banned the women from talking to their colleagues outside the office.

She told the court Mr Zumbo would check when his employees were active on Facebook and, if two or more were active at the same time, he would call them to accuse them of conspiring about him.

Consistent with the prosecutor’s opening argument that Mr Zumbo manipulated the five young women with “power and control”, the court heard the long-serving political staffer told the alleged victim she wouldn’t get another job in politics without his help.

“It was made very clear I shouldn’t move on. At one point I was told I wouldn‘t get another job in politics if I left,” she said.

The court heard Mr Zumbo blocked a political job offer for the alleged victim while escalating his predatory behaviour by trying to kiss her on a number of occasions without her consent.

In one instance, she described driving with Mr Zumbo to an event featuring former Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop. While she sat in the front seat, she said her boss’ hand started wandering.

Frank Zumbo has been Craig Kelly’s long-time staffer and former chief of staff.

“Frank had his hand on my thigh and his hand was moving up my leg,” she said.

“It got way too far and I closed my legs”.

At another time, Mr Zumbo gave her “a tight bear hug and started to (her) breast.”

The court heard he objectified the alleged victim at least once a week by calling her “sexy”, commenting on her breasts, or labelling her a “hot piece of ass”.

When she labelled his treatment “sexual assault”, the court heard the long-serving Kelly staffer told her she was “being silly” and making a complaint of sexual assault would prove she was “another young girl who wasn’t good at her job”.

After three years of working for Mr Zumbo, the young woman said her employer “got his dick out” while sitting next to her on a public bench.

“I looked down and I saw his pants were unzipped and I could see his penis a little bit,” she said.

“I started crying. I said ‘Frank no, please, I just want to go home’.”

Frank Zumbo with one of his former employees and alleged victims. Picture/: Twitter

The woman said he seemed “annoyed” by her reaction, despite her repeated rejection of his “unwanted advances”.

The court heard excerpts from the 4,000 pages of text messages and communications that have been tendered as evidence, including group messages from the ‘Sisterhood of Trauma Support’.

Defence lawyer Timothy Kent will cross-examine the witness on Friday.