Former NSW MP spruiked as ‘esteemed’ Liberal at campaign event – despite Icac’s ‘serious corrupt conduct’ finding

A former New South Wales minister found by Icac to have engaged in serious corrupt conduct has been feted as one of the “esteemed luminaries of the Liberal party” at an election fundraiser headlined by the state opposition leader, Kellie Sloane.

John Sidoti, a former Liberal minister and state member for Drummoyne who left the party in 2021 amid an investigation by the Independent Commission Against Corruption, attended a re-election campaign launch event last week for his successor as MP and former staffer, Stephanie Di Pasqua.

Last week’s event was emceed by a staff member in Sloane’s parliamentary office. In footage seen by Guardian Australia from the opening speeches,the staff member acknowledged Sidoti’s presence after welcoming state and federal parliamentarians, including Sloane.

“We’ve also got several esteemed luminaries of the Liberal party, most importantly, our former member for Drummoyne, John Sidoti – thank you for coming this evening John,” they said, drawing applause and cheers.

In 2022, Icac found that Sidoti had engaged in “serious corrupt conduct” to benefit his family’s property interests.

Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email

Under Sloane’s leadership, the NSW opposition has come under fire for a perceived lack of support for the corruption watchdog, which has investigated several Liberal leaders and members, including the former premier Gladys Berejiklian, prompting her 2021 resignation.

The former Liberal premier, Barry O’Farrell, who himself resigned in 2014 after admitting to misleading Icac, criticised the Coalition after it opposed a bill to give Icac permanent powers to use unlawful recordings of conversations in its investigations.

Sloane told parliament last month that she wanted the watchdog to “use its fullest investigative powers when conducting its current inquiries” but proposed a warrant system, which was not supported by the Minns government. The Coalition ultimately backed down and supported the bill’s passage.

A spokesperson for Sloane said she had “attended the fundraising event organised by the NSW Liberal Party with roughly 130 attenders and several VIP guests”.

“Ms Sloane was not advised of Mr Sidoti’s attendance prior to her arrival at the event.”

The NSW deputy leader, Natalie Ward, and the shadow ministers Tim James and Chris Rath attended the Drummoyne event, as well as the federal senator and deputy opposition whip, Jessica Collins.

Sidoti told Guardian Australia he had “popped in” as the former local member without buying a ticket, and because he knew the owners of the venue, Aqua Luna. He said he had planned to be there for 10 or 15 minutes but was asked to stay for the speeches. “And I got mentioned in the speeches,” he said.

He said he had been at the event for about an hour and was “pleasantly surprised” by the response he had from other attenders.

Sidoti said he had spoken to Sloane briefly: “I wished her best of luck at her next election.”

The former Liberal member served as sports minister in 2019 before standing aside pending an Icac investigation into allegations he used his parliamentary role to influence Liberal City of Canada Bay councillors in relation to several properties in Five Dock between late 2013 and early 2017.

The watchdog recommended that the director of public prosecutions consider charging Sidoti with misconduct in public office.

Sidoti, who stepped down from the Liberal party to join the crossbench when public hearings were announced, has maintained his innocence. The DPP has yet to bring a prosecution against him.

“I’m waiting for my day in court,” he told Guardian Australia, saying Icac was a “non-judicial body”. Icac corruption findings, which are not legally binding, can be appealed on limited procedural grounds through a process known as judicial review. Berejiklian lost an appeal against her corruption finding in 2024.

“I’m sad to call myself Australian … that you’re not afforded the presumption of innocence and the rule of law,” he said. “The system’s broken.”

Despite calls by the then-premier, Dominic Perrottet, for him to resign, Sidoti remained as MP for Drummoyne until 2023, when he did not seek re-election. Di Pasqua, a Canada Bay deputy mayor and Sidoti’s former electorate officer, won the seat. She declined to comment.

Sidoti said he had rejoined the Liberal party “about two years ago” after leaving parliament but had not made any donations beyond the cost of his membership.

The Drummoyne event came amid reported Liberal fundraising difficulties less than a year from the March 2027 election.

Tickets for the three-course dinner ranged from $220 for individual registration to $2,000 for a table of 10. VIP tickets, for seats at a table with Sloane and shadow ministers, were $500.

A spokesperson for the NSW Liberals said Sidoti had not been on the list of registered attenders for last week’s event.

Sloane and the NSW Liberals did not respond to questions about the appropriateness of Sidoti’s attendance.