Sam Groth facing calls to quit amid revelations he misled a colleague and wrongly used her taxpayer-funded, chauffeur-driven car

Victorian Liberal deputy leader Sam Groth misled a senior colleague and wrongly used her taxpayer-funded chauffeur car to take him and his wife home after getting “smashed” at the Australian Open. He is now facing calls to quit.

Deputy leader of the Victorian Liberal Party, Sam Groth, is facing calls to step down. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Sam Groth is facing calls to stand down amid revelations he misled a senior colleague and wrongly used her taxpayer-funded chauffeur-driven car to ferry him and his wife almost 100km home after a boozy day at the Australian Open.

The Herald Sun can reveal that in January last year – ­before former pro tennis player Mr Groth was elevated to deputy leader of the Victorian Liberals – he used then-opposition upper house leader Georgie Crozier’s chauffeur-driven vehicle to take him and wife Brittany from the tennis to Rye.

Sources say that he had told Ms Crozier he wanted to borrow the car for a work event, and when she found out “he was smashed” and used her driver to take the couple home, she “confronted him and ­rebuked him”.

On Friday, Groth said all his actions were “above board” and deniedl claims he was drunk.

“In my role as a Shadow Minister, I have attended many sporting events in the past few years,” he said.

“At the Australian Open in 2024, I attended in both an official capacity and a personal one.

“I was at the event to meet various stakeholders and attend meetings before being part of a fundraising initiative.

“The accusations around intoxication are wrong.

“Everything was and is above board. It has all been officially disclosed. There is nothing to hide.”

However, Mr Groth did not address the claim that he misled Ms Crozier to access her chauffeur-driven vehicle after the event.

Opposition Deputy Leader Sam Groth and wife Brittany at the 2024 Australian Open.

Both Liberal and Labor colleagues are calling on Mr Groth to stand down, as chauffeur cars are only provided to ministers and opposition leaders and are meant to be used for their public duties, adding he “abused the privilege”.

Mr Groth and Nationals MP Jade Benham hosted a political fundraiser in a box at the Open on January 20, 2024, charging hundreds of dollars a head for property developers, construction companies and tourism operators to join them.

After the daytime function to boost the two MPs’ coffers, Mr Groth and his wife Brittany, and Ms Benham and her partner, went on to the tennis precinct party zone. Sources said they were “having a ball”.

After a few hours’ drinking, Mr Groth used Ms Crozier’s chauffeur-driven vehicle to take him and his wife home.

Sam Groth and Jade Benham at a fundraising event for the Australian Open. Picture: Instagram

Asked to justify his use of the vehicle last night, Mr Groth refused to comment.

Ms Benham defended her colleague saying “Sam has done nothing wrong”, but admitted the event was not a public duty, adding: “Yes, fundraiser, then a post-event debrief with a colleague.”

On Friday morning, more senior Liberals have weighed in on the Groth issue, warning he was a “liability” and called on Opposition Leader Brad Battin to stand him aside from the deputy role.

One MP on Friday morning told the Herald Sun that Mr Groth was now the “Minister for Free Tickets”.

“It’s such a joke, and he is our second most senior member of the leadership team.”

Another senior Liberal MP said a lot of party members “are not surprised”.

“Something like this was always going to happen. But it makes a mockery of our ability to hold the Allan Labor Government to account on the economy.”

It’s understood many have also reached out to Ms Crozier this morning to lend their support.

“She seems to have been wanting to help a colleague, who if the allegations are true, totally misled her,” a Liberal member said.

MPs and senior figures from both parties have said Mr Groth’s freeloading reminded them of former Labor minister Steve Herbert, who was forced to quit two weeks after the Herald Sun revealed he had been using his ministerial chauffeur to drive his dogs Patch and Ted between his Melbourne residence and his country home in central ­Victoria.

After Mr Herbert’s 2017 resignation, then-Liberals leader Matthew Guy said: “Daniel Andrews should have sacked Steve Herbert two weeks ago and not waited for his minister to resign. This was a complete failure of leadership.”

Georgie Crozier. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

One senior Liberal MP said of Mr Groth: “He has to fall on his sword, it’s as simple as that. Sam is trouble and this is the last thing the party needs right now.”

Another Liberal MP said: “Misusing a taxpayer-funded chauffeured vehicle didn’t work out well for Patch and Ted’s owner Mr Herbert, and this is arguably worse.

“What seems to be developing here is a pattern of entitlement, ongoing disrespect for taxpayers’ money and bad judgement time and time again from a wannabe senior member of the team.”

A senior Labor figure said: “This will be a real test of Brad Battin’s leadership. Is he serious about integrity, or is he happy to have a right-hand man who is a serial rorter of Victorians’ cash?”

Ministerial resources such as chauffeur cars “must only” be used “in connection with public duties”, the ministerial code of conduct states.

They “must not” be used “for improper personal or private advantage or benefit for themselves or any other person”, or for party purposes.

The members of parliament (Victoria) guidelines further define that public duties do not include party fundraisers.

Several Liberal colleagues are particularly furious at Mr Groth for misleading Ms ­Crozier, with the issue potentially set to affect her.

Sam Groth and wife Brittany at the 2024 Australian Open. Picture: Supplied

Fleet and chauffeur services guidelines state: “Don’t provide the car-with-driver to others unless they are performing official duties you would normally undertake.”

Liberal colleagues said when the Nepean MP asked Ms Crozier to borrow the chauffeur car, he said it was for a work event. She had only approved it on that basis, they said. It is understood that until yesterday, Ms Crozier was not aware he had been hosting a personal fundraiser.

On the two days before the event in the box which Mr Groth paid for himself, he had attended the Open in his ­capacity as opposition events spokesman, staying in a hotel and billing the taxpayer $770 on the basis that was official business.

Even that “did not pass the pub test”, colleagues told the Herald Sun when the spending was revealed on Tuesday.

This paper also exclusively reported how Mr Groth had charged taxpayers for his flights and accommodation on a Valentine’s Day trip to South Australia with his wife, also ­attending a golf tournament where he partied with influencer Bec Judd.

Defending Mr Groth on the chauffeur car issue, Ms Benham said: “This is a witch hunt. He along with all MP’s, particularly regional MPs, spend an incredible amount of time away from family working hard, so any time we can get trying to maintain some sort of work/family balance (which is a fantasy in this job) should be commended and not ­condemned.”

Originally published as Sam Groth facing calls to quit amid revelations he misled a colleague and wrongly used her taxpayer-funded, chauffeur-driven car