Updated August 26, 2026 — 6:47pm,first published 12:25pmFormer Liberal powerbroker Charles Perrottet’s wife, Anita, was paid $254,666 in a three-month period for being a “sounding board” and providing verbal advice to consultant Jeremy Greenwood with no evidence of written work, a corruption inquiry has heard.In evidence before the Independent Commission Against Corruption on Wednesday, Anita Perrottet denied claims put to her that she was in an “impossible position” because she was being asked to lie under oath and cover for her husband, Charles, who is one of three party apparatchiks under investigation for receiving a $2 million bribe from a disgraced developer Jean Nassif.Anite Perrottet leaves the ICAC on Wednesday.James BrickwoodAnita Perrottet has not been named as a person of interest in the ICAC inquiry into illegal political donations, but the commission is investigating whether she played a role in helping receive money from Nassif for her husband.Charles declined to turn up and give evidence to a 2023 parliamentary inquiry into illegal donations and The Hills Shire Council. His brother, Jean-Claude, stayed in Fiji for the duration of the inquiry while Christian Ellis and Jeremy Greenwood hid so that a summons could not be served on them.The commission heard Anita Perrottet’s company was paid significant lump sums for strategic work for two of Jeremy Greenwood’s firms, Beckington and JPG Advisory. That advice was mostly verbal and over encrypted messaging apps, or using her husband Charles’ phone to speak with Greenwood.The most significant payments were made in the final quarter of 2022, when Perrottet invoiced Greenwood for a total of $254,666 for her strategic advice. One example she gave to the ICAC was for a vaping industry client some of that oral advice included “minors shouldn’t be able to be buying vapes”, Perrottet said.“So that’s based on a salary of a million dollars, Mrs Perrottet – let’s get serious,” Counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer, SC, said.“You are giving evidence under oath. Do you seriously suggest that the commission should accept that, as truthful evidence, that you were entitled to charge $254,666 for work that you actually did … providing an oral sounding board or advice to Jeremy Greenwood for that quarter?”Perrottet said yes, that was her truthful evidence.Dwyer also asked Perrottet to explain why her computer metadata showed an invoice from her company Macquarie Consulting was created by her husband in January 2022, and then modified in March 2023 – the same month Charles was avoiding the inquiry.“Mrs Perrottet, can I suggest to you, you have been put in an impossible situation because you are being asked to lie under oath to cover for your husband?” Dwyer said.“I reject that – I’m not lying,” Perrottet said.Dwyer reminded Perrottet she had taken an oath on the Bible to tell the truth to the ICAC and stressed to her it was an offence to lie.Anita Perrottet appears at the ICAC.ICACThe commission was shown evidence of friendly text messages between Charles Perrottet and Jean Nassif, which included Charles thanking the property developer for hosting him and his children at his home. Greenwood and his business partner, Christian Ellis, and their partners were also invited to lunch with Nassif, but Anita Perrottet said she wasn’t there.She couldn’t remember if Charles ever talked about meeting Nassif, or if he told her he was taking their children to his home, Perrottet said.In other memory lapses, Perrottet said she could not remember whether she had ever been a party member, nor recall details of her husband’s role in a powerful Liberal Party subcommittee.Perrottet 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. Dominic Perrottet is not accused of any wrongdoing.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 that oversees 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.Dwyer read out evidence from a secret hearing in February 2024 in which Perrottet gave evidence that she knew Charles Perrottet 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,” Anita 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. Anita Perrottet’s business was listed as a shareholder, as was Ellis’ wife.She does not remember setting up the company.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