A 58-year-old former West Australian One Nation senator failed to turn up to court to face allegations he lied in his application to run in the 2022 federal election, and there is now a warrant out for his arrest.
Rod Culleton, who ran as a candidate for the Great Australia Party, allegedly lied about his financial circumstances as part of his nomination as a senate candidate.
Former One Nation senator Rod Culleton.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
The Australian Electoral Commission raised concerns he might have signed false declarations, and Culleton was charged after investigation Operation Wilmot Taskforce was launched by the Australian Federal Police.
He was expected to face Perth Magistrate’s Court on September 30 over the charge of giving information to the Commission, knowing the information was false.
The maximum penalty he was facing was 12 months’ imprisonment.
AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Andrea Coleman said police alleged Culleton falsely declared that he was not an undischarged bankrupt.
Police say this would prevent him from sitting as a senator or a member of the House of Representatives.
“The AFP will allege the man made a fraudulent claim on nomination forms as part of an attempt to be elected as a senator in the recent Federal Election,” Coleman said.
“The AFP is dedicated to protecting democracy and officers will lay charges if they have evidence that someone committed an offence to mislead the community or gain a benefit.”
In April, the Commission released a statement on Culleton, stating while he was going to be listed on the ballots, he could not be nominated if found guilty.
The Operation Wilmot Taskforce was established in March to investigate electoral-related crime, including security threats to parliamentarians and candidates.
The Taskforce worked closely with state and territory law enforcement agencies and formally assessed 82 complaints and referrals during the election period.
Thirty-nine matters were accepted for investigations and 12 remain ongoing.
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