When Fairfax Media contacted Mr Black to ask whether he was now serving as Mr Roberts' campaign manager in Ipswich, he said: "No. I am a friend of Malcolm's. That is the only role I have in his endeavours. Any claims to other roles is [sic] inaccurate."

In February, Senator Roberts defended Mr Black on social media.

"While it's terrible that Pauline and I are subjected to lies and smears to try and discredit us politically, it's totally unacceptable that when they can't find dirt on us the media go after our staff," Mr Roberts said in a Facebook post.



"I have been working closely with Sean for the past five months and he is a great asset to our team and to Pauline's team, both as a hard-working aide and as a personal friend. I have seen no evidence of the caricature he is painted to be, he loves his family, has a great sense of humour and is extremely well-liked by all those who associate with him.



"Sean has my full support and will continue to have my full support in this office for as long as I am an elected official."

At the time a spokesman for party leader Pauline Hanson said the allegations against Mr Black had been "noted".



"Mr Black is entitled to the presumption of innocence," he said. "Many people have been charged and have been found innocent. The allegations against Mr Black do not relate to any parliamentary duties."

Mr Black has been a controversial figure in Queensland politics, starting out in the 1990s as a backroom Labor operative tasked with destroying Pauline Hanson's party when she first burst onto the scene.



He left the ALP after being caught up in a vote-rigging scandal detailed in the Shepherdson corruption inquiry. He was never charged with any crimes but subsequently gravitated towards conservative politics.