Charles Perrottet appeared before the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) on Thursday to address allegations concerning his interactions with property developer Jean Nassif. During the hearing, Perrottet denied claims that he accepted payments from Nassif in exchange for securing specific political outcomes. The inquiry focused on a text message sent following the rejection of a Nassif development project, which stated, “Charles fucked this whole thing.” Perrottet testified that he could not explain the origin or intent of that specific message.

Perrottet’s testimony included admissions that he often fabricated his level of political influence when speaking to Nassif. He told the commission that he would intentionally lie to the developer about his ability to perform political work on his behalf. Furthermore, Perrottet stated that these deceptions were not limited to his professional dealings with Nassif; he admitted that he may have also regularly lied to his close friend, Christian Ellis, who has also been named in the commission's allegations. The inquiry continues to examine whether these interactions involved improper influence or financial impropriety, though Perrottet maintains that no payments were exchanged for political results.