WHILE he was allegedly being sexually harassed by Peter Slipper, James Ashby asked the Speaker if he could accompany him on an official trip to Hungary, court documents reveal. And when the request was knocked backed on March 16, with Mr Slipper telling him it would be against parliamentary rules, Mr Ashby responded jovially that it had been a ''wild idea, but sometimes wild ideas become reality''.

The revelations, part of hundreds of documents released by the Federal Court last night, are said to show how Mr Ashby worked with fellow aide Karen Doane, the former Howard minister Malcolm Brough and the News Ltd journalist Steve Lewis to vilify Mr Slipper and destroy his career. Mr Ashby, who worked as Mr Slipper's media adviser, claims the Speaker made unwelcome sexual advances towards him between January and March this year. He is suing Mr Slipper and the Commonwealth for damages.

James Ashby ... claims Peter Slipper made unwelcome advances.

However the respondents have asked the court to throw out the suit on the grounds that it is an abuse of process. Mr Slipper and the Commonwealth say Mr Ashby and Ms Doane conspired with Mr Brough to make public the serious allegations for the benefit of the Liberal National Party and their own political careers.

Two days before the sexual harassment allegations were splashed in News Ltd publications, Mr Brough emailed Mr Ashby, saying ''there are potential problems I need to discuss with you as soon as possible''.