Jacqui Lambie’s ex-chief of staff raided

The home of Jacqui Lambie’s ex-chief of staff has been raided by police seeking evidence of alleged ‘stalking and bullying’.

Rob and Fern Messenger

The home of Jacqui Lambie’s former chief of staff has been raided by Tasmania Police seeking evidence of alleged “stalking and bullying”.

Rob Messenger and wife Fern, the Tasmanian senator’s chief of staff and office manager, respectively, until being sacked in May 2017, were issued with a search warrant at their home in the state’s northwest on Tuesday.

The warrant related to alle­gations of “stalking and bullying”, with items seized including a computer, multiple storage dev­ices and documents. The Messengers deny any wrongdoing.

Ms Messenger said police confirmed the complaint against them related to an online video posted by Mr Messenger, concerning Senator Lambie’s former adviser Norbert Keough.

Tasmania Police said it could not comment on the raid, conducted by six officers, or any investigation, “for privacy reasons”. “No one has been charged,” a spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

The Messengers, who have an ongoing claim for alleged unlawful dismissal against the federal government and Senator Lambie before the Federal Court, said police told them the raid related to a complaint made by Mr Keough.

“They said they had received a complaint from Norbert about stalking and bullying with regard to a YouTube video,” Ms Messenger said. “(Police suggested) if we were prepared to give them that material that they were looking for, they wouldn’t search the ­entire house.”

She said the couple had co-­operated but raised concerns that the seizure of back-up disks might prevent them from working on their unlawful dismissal claim.

Mr Messenger said he had posted a video on several online platforms raising questions about Mr Keough’s legal qualifications.

He said he had also written letters to a range of legal and political authorities, including then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, and to NSW legal profession bodies. However, he denied this amounted to “stalking and bullying”, and said if charged he would rely on a defence that he had acted in good faith.

Mr Keough did not directly ­respond to requests for comment. His lawyer, former Lambie running mate and Jacqui Lambie Network president Glynn Williams, said it was “entirely a matter for the police”.

Mr Williams said complaints had been made to “various entities” that had published comments made by Mr Messenger about Mr Keough.

Senator Lambie declined to comment on Wednesday. It is understood she is supportive of Mr Keough.

Mr Keough, who has worked for RSL clubs in NSW and Tasmania, is understood to have been employed by Senator Lambie in 2017 as an electoral officer in charge of veterans’ issues and later as an assistant adviser.

Fern Messenger has recently become Tasmanian secretary of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party, but said the issues relating to Mr Keough were non-political.