Election blitz, Dan Murphys and pizza; TWU slush fund splurge

Six-figure cash deposits and money flying out the door; bank documents reveal what goes on inside a union fighting fund.

Mem Suleyman.

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More than $300,000 poured into a slush fund in just weeks to bankroll a fiercely contested internal election campaign in the scandal-plagued Transport Workers Union.

The Australian can reveal while most of the money was spent on advertising, marketing and printing charges, the fund was also used to cover a $750 bill at Dan Murphys, a $752 bill at the Exchange Hotel in Port Melbourne, pizza meals and even a $92 parking fine.

In a major escalation in the crisis that forced the abolition of the TWU’s Victorian branch, bank records reveal six-figure deposits flowed into an account run by officials at the Port Melbourne-based union.

Commonwealth Bank statements list three “cash” deposits totalling $275,000 made in late 2022 — $100,000 on November 4, $100,000 on December 12 and $75,000 on December 29 — into the account called Transport Logistics Advocacy And Training Association Inc.

The statements detail two “fast transfer” transactions from the TWU’s NSW state secretary Richard Olsen in late 2022 for $20,000 on November 12 and $10,000 on November 13.

When the Victorian branch was abolished last month in the wake of integrity and operational problems identified by an internal probe, Mr Olsen was appointed as the “interim governance” branch secretary.

The Australian understands the $30,000 was taken from an election fighting fund run by NSW union leaders which was funded by private contributions from officials. Mr Olsen declined to comment.

Commonwealth Bank statements covering the period of the TWU election that pitted Victorian state secretary and ALP powerbroker Mem Suleyman’s “Members First Team” against a rival ticket do not disclose the source of the $275,000.

The Australian has been told the Transport Logistics Advocacy And Training Association Inc account was used to pay for a campaigning blitz by Mr Suleyman’s ticket, which ultimately won the poll.

“This is an enormous amount of money to spend on an internal union election,” one union source said.

Mr Suleyman and most other Victorian officials lost their jobs last month when the national leadership swiftly abolished the branch amid serious integrity concerns. Mr Suleyman was cleared of misconduct allegations from his rivals last month. Mr Suleyman has been approached for comment.

The Commonwealth Bank statements reveal that as the election for control of the 14,000-strong union ramped up in November 2022, hundreds of thousands of dollars flowed out of the Transport Logistics Advocacy And Training Association Inc to pay for campaigning.

There are multiple charges for Facebook totalling tens of thousands of dollars, including almost $14,000 in charges for what appears to be advertising in the space of just three days between November 19 and November 22.

A Port Melbourne printing firm, identified in the bank account statements as Kosdown, was paid $20,000 on November 10 and $50,000 on December 12. Kosdown was paid another $15,000 on December 14, according to the bank statements. A firm identified as “creative workz” in the statements was paid $50,000 on December 30. On November 15, according to the statements, three payments were made from the account to a company called “Moss Group” for $4,950, $3,300 and $4,070.

Bank statement reveal that on November 4, $752 was spent at Mercadante Wood Fired Pizzeria in Carlton. On November 10, $128 was spent at pizza outlet, Crust, and the next day another $119 was spent at Crust. On November 12, another $127 was spent at Crust, and $120 at Crust was November 16.

Former TWU officials have also questioned a number of earlier charges against the account, including a $1000 payment to someone described as “Alex ALP” on May 10, 2021.

As at June 5, 2024, the closing balance in the Transport Logistics Advocacy And Training Association Inc account was listed as just $14,452.37.

The banking records reveal transfers totalling $14,563 across November and December 2022 were made to Victorian ALP member Joshua Bruni, who had previously worked as an electorate officer for Police Minister Anthony Carbines.

The Commonwealth Bank statements show the payments — listed in TWU banking records as “remuneration”, “radio ads”, “works” and “fine” — were deposited in Mr Bruni’s bank account between November 1 and December 14. The Australian has confirmed the “fine” related to Mr Bruni charging a $92 parking fine back to the campaign fund.

Sources close to Mr Bruni say he left Mr Carbines’ office before starting work on the TWU election campaign. The government has confirmed Mr Bruni resigned from the Carbines electorate office on October 10.

Mr Bruni now works for Upper House Labor MP John Berger who was elected at the last election. Mr Berger is a former TWU official.