Australian Greens senator denies claims of misconduct towards women
Jordon Steele-John says the timing of the claims motivated by "nasty political games" within the Greens.
Australian Greens senator rejects misconduct allegations involving women
An Australian Greens senator has denied accusations of inappropriate conduct toward women and said his party was engaging in "nasty political games", several days after the allegations surfaced.
Last Thursday, Greens leader David Shoebridge said Senator Jordon Steele-John, 32, had stepped away from the party room after a letter from seven current and former members stated that he had faced "multiple allegations" of misconduct between 2017 and 2025.
In a post online on Sunday, the senator rejected the allegations and said he was not on leave. Addressing a sexual assault allegation, he said police who investigated the matter had closed it and no charges were filed.
An internal party investigation has now been opened into the claims.
Steele-John, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, was first elected to the Senate in Western Australia in November 2017.
In his response letter, Steele-John said his nickname - "Feels on wheels" - originally referred to him being emotional while campaigning for disability rights, but had since taken on a "more sinister meaning" linked to his alleged mistreatment of women.
He said Shoebridge had mishandled the issue and questioned the timing of the letter, saying "it is no coincidence" that the allegations were sent to the leader "the day after we agreed on the timeline for the next preselection" before the next federal election.
Days after the letter was sent to Shoebridge, local media reported that the party had drawn up a 47-page dossier years earlier listing several allegations against Steele-John and outlining how to handle media coverage if they became public.
Steele-John said the dossier was prepared so the media would not "bombard" the two women at the centre of the allegations, and that neither woman had lodged a complaint.
He said the allegations would have "damaged" public trust in him and added that he was "committed to rebuilding that by acting with as much transparency and accountability as I can".
Shoebridge's office confirmed the allegations had been referred to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission.