August 26, 2026 — 12:25pmNSW Liberal operative Charles Perrottet’s wife Anita has told a corruption hearing that she could not remember whether she has ever been a party member nor recall details of her husband’s role in a powerful Liberal Party subcommittee.Anita Perrottet has not been named as a person of interest in the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s inquiry into illegal political donations but the ICAC is investigating whether she played a role in helping receive money from fugitive property developer Jean Nassif.Anita Perrottet appears at the ICAC.ICACPerrottet told the commission on Wednesday that she was not currently a member of the Liberal Party but was not sure whether she had been in the past.She said when her brother-in-law Dominic Perrottet became premier of NSW in 2021 she was happy for him, but it had little impact on her family because she was living in Victoria at the time.Perrottet also said she could not remember anything about her husband’s role in the Liberal Party’s local government oversight committee, a powerful body which overseas the preselection of candidates for council elections.She said she had heard the words “local government oversight committee” but did not remember anything about it.Counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer, SC, read out evidence from a secret hearing in February 2024 in which Perrottet gave evidence that she knew Charles was bringing matters to that committee, and remembered he began his position about 2018 or 2019.“Does that refresh your memory,” Dwyer asked.“No, not really, sorry,” Perrottet said.In her opening statement, Dwyer said she expected evidence to show Charles Perrottet anticipated receiving significant funds from Nassif, but there was no evidence of him receiving money directly.Instead, Dwyer said she expected evidence would show the funds were paid into an account by the company name of Macquarie Consulting Pty Ltd – with Anita Perrottet as the sole director and shareholder.Dwyer’s opening statement said she anticipated that the commission would “receive submissions to the effect that the payments to Macquarie Consulting were for consulting work legitimately carried out by Anita Perrottet for Beckington and JPG Advisory”.“Yet, in the nearly four years that the commission has been investigating the allegations the subject of this inquiry, it has uncovered no evidence of Anita Perrottet carrying out any work for either Beckington or JPG Advisory,” Dwyer said in her opening statement.“Instead, the commission’s investigation has unearthed evidence of Mr [Christian] Ellis dictating to Charles Perrottet, and not his wife, how he should structure the invoices that were ultimately issued by Macquarie Consulting to Beckington for the 2021/2022 financial year.”Anita Perrottet told the commission she could not remember why she urgently asked to be removed as a shareholder from a company called Beckington National.The company was established during the COVID-19 lockdowns, when Charles feared he may be made redundant from his position at BP. Anita’s business was listed as a shareholder, as was Ellis’s wife.She does not remember setting up the company, or sending an urgent email to her accountant asking to be removed as a shareholder.Dwyer pressed her on this. “Can I suggest to you, Mrs Perrottet, that this is your opportunity to be really honest about these accounts … it appears that this had nothing to do with you, and had something to do with people behind the scenes setting it up, is that the true situation?”Anita Perrottet: “No.”Dwyer: “But you have no memory of this, is that right?”Perrottet: “I can’t remember it. It’s not to say I didn’t read it, but I, I don’t remember it now.”Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.Alexandra Smith is a senior writer and former state political editor of The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.Jessica McSweeney is a reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald covering state politics and urban affairs.Connect via email.From our partners