New South Wales state MP Glenn Brookes moves to crossbench over electoral allegations

March 24, 2016

, member of  for   confirmed on Monday he has moved to the  &mdash; distancing himself from his party &mdash; following a March 17 charge served on his former campaign manager Jim Daniels for electoral crimes.

Jim Daniels is alleged to be behind the campaign that labelled candidate  a "paedophile lover" by placing stickers on his election signs and distributing pamphlets around the electorate. Bankstown councilor Jim Daniels is to face court over the allegations in May.

Mr Brookes, who won the marginal State seat by a slender margin, said "I am shocked and horrified by the allegations made against my former staff member Jim Daniel[...] These allegations come as a surprise to me and I was not aware of the alleged behaviour at the time". Mr Brookes has told New South Wales Premier, by Baird's account, that he had no involvement.

The Honourable named Jim Daniels as the person behind the smear campaign in May 2015 according to . Ms Voltz spoke in parliament about the campaign on June 25, 2015 regarding further alleged breaches by Mr Daniels saying 5,000 was donated to the Australian Multicultural Christian Society Incorporated [AMCSI] for the purchase of a bus. "Yet according to the Federal Government's charity register annual report, the AMCSI had total expenses of $1,574 for the financial year 2013–14. The $5,000 for the bus purchase never seems to have been spent", said Ms Voltz.

 reported in April 2015 that Mr Murphy, an Order of Australia recipient and former president of the New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties, had no criminal record and expressed fears to the Telegraph of the effect the accusations against him could have on his young son.

Mr. Murphy has declined to comment on the recent developments, citing legal considerations.