![\"Alexandra](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/9de8c2442df409b1efd046151c6662669f43125e.png\")
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Updated July 3, 2026 \u2014 6:02pm,first published 4:41pm<\/p>\n
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n NSW Liberal leader Kellie Sloane has suffered her first political scalp ahead of a looming corruption hearing, with Damien Tudehope standing down from the frontbench.<\/p>\n The senior frontbencher confirmed on Friday that he would stand aside as shadow attorney-general because he had been called as a witness to the inquiry.<\/p>\n The Independent Commission Against Corruption on Wednesday announced a long-awaited public inquiry following its lengthy investigation into fugitive Sydney property developer Jean Nassif\u2019s links to Liberal powerbrokers, councils and Catholic Schools NSW boss Dallas McInerney.<\/p>\n Tudehope said he told Sloane of his decision on Friday, and stressed that there \u201cis no suggestion of any wrongdoing by myself, nor am I under investigation\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThe recent announcement by the ICAC that Operation Rosny will soon begin a public inquiry into alleged political donations involves several people with whom I have had close relationships during my political career,\u201d Tudehope said in a statement.<\/p>\n Tudehope was a partner for 30 years at the law firm O\u2019Hara and Company with lawyer, hotelier and property developer Michael O\u2019Hara, whom the ICAC alleges made illegal donations to recruit party members. Tudehope is also close to McInerney and the Perrottet family.<\/p>\n According to a detailed dossier on the Liberal Party tabled to NSW parliament, Jean-Claude Perrottet (the youngest brother of former premier Dominic) worked for Tudehope, who was a former finance minister and is widely respected across the factions.<\/p>\n Related Article Jean-Claude is accused of having \u201csolicited or accepted political donations, including from prohibited donors, in amounts that were not declared and exceeded applicable donation caps\u201d.<\/p>\n Another Perrottet brother, Charles, will also feature in the ICAC\u2019s investigation.<\/p>\n Dominic Perrottet is not accused of any wrongdoing.<\/p>\n Tudehope said he was \u201cconcerned that, while the public hearings are under way, my position as shadow attorney-general and leader of the opposition in the Legislative Council could become an unnecessary distraction for Kellie Sloane and my parliamentary colleagues.<\/p>\n \u201cI also believe it is my responsibility to set an example during periods such as this by holding myself to the highest standard of transparency and accountability \u2013 something the Minns Labor government has refused to do since its election over three years ago,\u201d Tudehope said.<\/p>\n Earlier this week, Sloane described the ICAC inquiry as a \u201cmassive distraction\u201d just eight months out from the state election.<\/p>\n \u201cTo be absolutely clear that I don\u2019t stand for the kind of behaviour that is being alleged,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis behaviour, if it\u2019s proven, is absolutely reprehensible, has no place in the party that I lead.\u201d<\/p>\n On Thursday, former NSW police minister David Elliott predicted NSW frontbenchers could lose their jobs once details of the commission were aired during the eight-week hearing, which kicks off on July 27.<\/p>\n It has been alleged that at the behest of Nassif, illegal donations were used to recruit party members and to do \u201cdamage to the political career\u201d of Elliott, and to bring about the removal of then-building commissioner David Chandler from public office.<\/p>\n Get alerts on breaking news as it happens. Sign up for our Breaking News Alert<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n![\"Damien](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0056b397aa8506e1764ece39b096bac39212546f.jpeg\")
Damien Tudehope is standing down.Dominic Lorrimer<\/p>\n![\"NSW](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/489a846e85400312b0877833d95edaaf447a24ac.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Alexandra](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/9de8c2442df409b1efd046151c6662669f43125e.png\")
Alexandra Smith<\/a> is a senior writer and former state political editor of The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X<\/a> or email<\/a>.From our partners<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Updated July 3, 2026 \u2014 6:02pm,first published 4:41pm Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":776096,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,44],"class_list":["post-776095","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/776095","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=776095"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/776095\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/776096"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=776095"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=776095"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=776095"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}