Jamie Clements to face court, accused of misusing electoral roll

Former NSW Labor boss Jamie Clements will face court next month accused of misusing the electoral roll.

Jamie Clements is facing possible fines of up to $44,000 for disclosing protected information and using electoral information for a purpose not permitted by election law.

Former NSW Labor boss Jamie Clements will face court next month accused of misusing the electoral roll after confidential information he allegedly handed to a disgraced former union boss was used by an associate to threaten a man with a 9mm bullet.

An investigation by The Australian revealed the man, from the north coast of NSW, had been threatened after his address was accessed from the ALP electoral database.

Mr Clements is facing possible fines of up to $44,000 for disclosing protected information and using electoral information for a purpose not permitted by election law.

Mr Clements declined to comment, saying it was now before the court.

He has previously denied accessing the ALP’s electoral roll database. He will appear in Downing Centre local court on June 7.

The NSW Electoral Commission alleges that Mr Clements breached the Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Act by disclosing the information in May 2015, and used that information in June 2015.

The Act says the electoral roll can only be used “in connection with an election” or for checking its accuracy.

A statement from the NSW Electoral Commission said the maximum fine for misusing the electoral roll is a $110,000 fine but as the matter will be heard in a local court, the maximum fine is $22,000 for each offence.

It is believed the ALP is refusing to pay Mr Clements’ costs.

The NSW Crown Solicitor’s office is prosecuting the matter on behalf of the Electoral Commission.

Mr Clements was forced to resign as NSW Labor Party general secretary in January followed sexual harassments allegations by a NSW MP’s female staff member. Mr Clements denied the allegations and has not been charged with any offence.

Although the printed electoral roll is available at libraries and the Electoral Commission, political parties have privileged access to the roll, including as a database which is not otherwise public, as well as getting regularly updated versions.

In December The Australian reported that Mr Clements was alleged to have arranged for staff members at the ALP’s head office in Sydney’s Sussex Street to find the details of a north coast man.

According to Labor sources, Mr Clements gave the details to Derrick Belan, then an influential union boss and political ally of Mr Clements.

Mr Belan was alleged to have used the information to help a friend and business associate, western Sydney gym trainer Lincoln Hudson, who had concerns about a relationship the man had with his own girlfriend.

The north coast man told The Australian he got two phone calls from Mr Hudson.

In the first conversation, he said he was told by Mr Hudson that there was “a 9mm bullet” ready for him and that, from details Mr Hudson revealed during the conversation, the man believed he had been followed.

He later said a second call from Mr Hudson was much more friendly — but he believed Mr Hudson was trying to obtain information from him.

Both Mr Belan and Mr Hudson have denied getting the electoral roll information, and Mr Hudson has denied he had threatened the man.

Mr Hudson appeared as a witness at the trade union royal commission, which investigated the relationship between Mr Belan’s National Union of Workers and Mr Hudson’s gym, the Ultimate Training Centre at St Marys.

Mr Belan resigned as union head before appearing before the royal commission, which recommended he be referred for charges for misusing union funds. He has also since been fined for possession of methamphetamines and cocaine.

The final report of the royal commission found that the NUW had paid the gym almost $200,000 over a two-year period, including $3000 to Mr Hudson personally for “consultant’s fees”.

The royal commission found no one had acted illegally in the sponsorship arrangement, but there was there was no record of the deal having been approved.