Black remained a senior member of party’s national executive after being charged with rape and assault

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Sean Black, who was convicted of rape and assault this week, remained a senior member of One Nation’s national executive and was put in charge of increasing party membership in the lead-up to his trial.

Guardian Australia has seen signed minutes of a One Nation federal executive meeting and emails between members of the executive that all list Black as the party’s national secretary and manager of membership services a few months before his Brisbane district court trial was due to begin.

It is understood Black was not stood down from the party until late last week. He had been charged in May last year and his trial began in early July.

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The jury began deliberations on Thursday afternoon and returned with a majority guilty verdict on two counts of assault and one count of rape just before 9pm on Friday. Black was placed on remand and will be sentenced on 26 July.

A chief adviser for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, James Ashby, who also sits on the party national executive, said he understood an appeal in the Black case “was likely, so One Nation cannot make any comment, however we respect the court’s findings”.

Internal emails within the One Nation executive, seen by Guardian Australia, reveal Black was appointed by the party “to manage member services” on 8 March 2018.

“Sean was formally an adviser to Malcolm Roberts, so his knowledge and contacts will assist him in the development and implementation of programs designed to get our current members more involved and to grow party membership,” the email read.

“He will also be involved in the development of regional offices and members as these entities come on board and grow. Sean will be operating from PHON [Pauline Hanson’s One Nation] head office … the task Sean has taken on is both immense and difficult.”

Guardian Australia has seen an email from Black, where he signs off as part of national head office in April this year, and a “flying minute” he signed off on as national secretary, his signature third after Hanson and Ashby and sitting above the treasurer and national director of the party in May.

The former One Nation senator Brian Burston, who, after a public fallout with Hanson, quit the party last month and joined Clive Palmer’s party, said he had attempted to caution Hanson about retaining Black.

“I did warn her several times about Sean Black and the look keeping him on would have for the party, even when it was just charges,” he said. “But she said there is no one else, it is my decision, end of story.”

Black lost his job as Roberts’s chief media adviser when the former Queensland One Nation senator was found to be a dual citizen and therefore ineligible to sit in the parliament in October last year.

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He remained working in the federal parliament in Roberts’s office for five months after his charges were first reported by Fairfax Media in May. A party spokesman at the time said the charges had been “noted”, but “do not relate to any parliamentary duties”.

After the high court ruled against Roberts, Black campaigned for him during Roberts’ ill-fated attempt to win a Queensland state election seat in November 2017, although both Black and Ashby denied Black remained on the party payroll.



Ashby described Black’s role to the Australian in late December as “doing some volunteer work with Malcolm”.

“Sean’s not been working for any of the offices or headquarters, but he’s a very talented young man,” he said.