Overview

• John Pesutto paid $2,308,873 in legal costs to Moira Deeming after the Federal Court found he defamed her by implying she sympathised with white supremacists.
• The payment was made possible by a $1.5 million loan from the Victorian Liberal Party’s investment arm, Vapold, approved by the party’s administrative committee.
• By clearing the bill, Pesutto averted bankruptcy and preserved his position as the member for Hawthorn in the Victorian parliament.
• The settlement nullified a last-ditch legal challenge by a fellow party member who sought to block Vapold’s loan.
• The case has deepened factional rifts within the party over Pesutto’s leadership and the debate over Moira Deeming’s reinstatement.