The recordings surface as the populist party pursues significant power in upcoming elections in Victoria, New South Wales, and federally, backed by a recent Resolve Political Monitor showing its primary vote at 25 per cent, ahead of the Coalition on 23 and behind Labor on 29.
Covert Recordings Reveal Inside Warnings About Rinehart and Ashby
Sean Black, who served One Nation for eight years including as campaign manager between 2023 and April 2026, warned on the secret tapes that the party lacks the competence to wield the power it is chasing. He cautioned that rampant nepotism could see Rinehart puppets or inexperienced insiders, such as Pauline Hanson’s daughter Lee, given key political or policy roles, or even elevated to governor-general if the party secured government. “They don’t have a clue what democracy is,” Black said in one recording.
Black specifically claimed that Rinehart exerts disproportionate influence over the party and its chief strategist James Ashby. He added that Rinehart is pulling strings using proxies such as Rinehart company chief executive and ex-Northern Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles, who made a $500,000 donation to One Nation earlier this year that Giles said was paid out of his bonus from Hancock. Treasurer Jim Chalmers previously described Hanson as a “wholly owned subsidiary of Gina Rinehart,” while crossbencher David Pocock asked the electoral regulator to investigate the donation.
Did You Know? Sean Black previously served a prison sentence after being convicted of raping and assaulting his former partner, serving two years and three months of a five-year sentence before later returning to key backroom roles within One Nation until his sacking in April 2026.
Financial Integrity Questions and Internal Party Scandals
“James Ashby doesn’t understand politics. James Ashby understands his bank account and James Ashby. And then anything in between is sort of like has to go into his bank account. That’s it,” Black said on a recording. He also pointed to a $100,000 plane that was donated to the party in 2015.
His disclosures mirror past criticisms from former MPs Mark Latham and Brian Burston regarding party finances, as well as co-founder David Oldfield’s 2019 memoir describing the party as “little more than a personal money-making scheme.”
Expert Insight: Internal dissent and financial scrutiny have historically marked One Nation’s trajectory during periods of electoral momentum.
Future Implications for Electoral Contests
Black said the plan involved One Nation insiders deciding “that they would break into the emails of the New South Wales branch,” adding that having “collected a whole heap of information,” they knew it was illegal because the New South Wales branch is its own legal entity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Sean Black removed from his role in One Nation?
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson sacked Sean Black in April 2026 following media pressure and Coalition criticism over his 2018 imprisonment for raping and assaulting his former partner. However, covert recordings indicate Black continued working as a paid fundraiser in Victoria afterward.
What financial contributions has Gina Rinehart made to One Nation?
Large donations linked to Rinehart, including a plane, have been publicised, and Treasurer Jim Chalmers described Hanson as a “wholly owned subsidiary of Gina Rinehart.” Additionally, Rinehart company chief executive and former Northern Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles made a $500,000 donation to the party earlier in the year, which he said was paid out of his bonus from Hancock.
What concerns did Black raise regarding James Ashby?
On the covert recordings, Black claimed that Ashby was exploiting One Nation to make money and accrue benefits for himself, saying: “James Ashby doesn’t understand politics. James Ashby understands his bank account and James Ashby. And then anything in between is sort of like has to go into his bank account. That’s it.”
Related reading