As the Electoral Commission prepares to meet this afternoon to discuss New Zealand First donations it has been revealed the party's auditor raised concerns over an $80,000 donation earlier this year.
The New Zealand Herald obtained an email under the Official Information Act from the Electoral Commission to auditor Nick Kosoof which appeared to be about donations from the Vela family.
The email from commission statutory relationship manager Deidre Brookes followed a phone call the same day, May 13, from Mr Kosoof.
She wrote Mr Kosoof had asked about a cheque deposited for one sum which was made up of donations from eight companies, but each under $10,000.
There was "some relationship" between companies via directors and shareholders.
Her email said surrounding circumstances determined whether the money should be declared as one donation or treated as eight separate ones.
The $80,000 donation from the trust to the party in 2007 went towards meeting the party's wrongful spending under the 2005 election. Other parties returned the money to Parliamentary Services but NZ First said it gave it to charity. Police are considering whether to investigate the non-declaration of the donation after ACT's Rodney Hide lodged a complaint.
The Electoral Commission will discuss what to do about New Zealand First's alleged breach of electoral law after the party wrote to it on Friday about its donation returns for 2005, 2006, and 2007. The commission would not give details but it is likely the party was seeking to fix up incorrect declarations.
This development has followed a series of revelations including one from one of the party's Spencer Trust trustees, Grant Currie, who said NZ First got donations, channelled through the trust, in 2005, 2006 and 2007 which should have been declared.
NZ First last week admitted breaching electoral law by failing to declare a $50,000 donation from the Spencer Trust in 2005. A further $17,000 in bills was paid in 2005 and the trust also directly paid $87,648 of NZ First invoices in 2006.
NZ First donations were already being investigated by the Serious Fraud Office, while Parliament's privileges committee is looking at whether NZ First leader Winston Peters broke Parliament's rules by failing to declare a $100,000 contribution from Owen Glenn towards his legal fees.
Mr Glenn is to appear in person tomorrow to defend his claim that Mr Peters asked and thanked him for the donation.
Mr Peters says that isn't true and he will speak to the committee directly after Mr Glenn. He maintained previously that he knew nothing about the donation.
Prime Minister Helen Clark was asked about the hearing on Newstalk ZB this morning.
She had no plans to meet with Mr Glenn. "It's not my practice to meet with donors, that's something I've been very careful about over the years."
Miss Clark was asked if it was true senior Labour MPs had been running a smear campaign against Mr Glenn, saying his memory was affected by brain surgery and other allegations.
"I'm certainly not aware of that."
She said it sounded like false allegations made by a National Party commentator.
Miss Clark praised Mr Glenn for his generosity.
The swirling allegations prompted National leader John Key to rule out working with NZ First after the election.
Miss Clark has claimed Mr Key had been leaked information the SFO was to investigate as he announced his position a day before its inquiry was announced.
Today she repeated she was "absolutely certain" the National Party had some knowledge and "that comes from sources within their ranks".
