The $9600 donation was unsolicited and offered via a cheque from lawyers acting for Mr Melhem at the commission. A source close to the think tank said that prior to the donation offer, Mr Melhem had no previous connection as a donor or supporter. The $9600 was drawn from a trust account set up on the instructions of Mr Melhem, who has not responded to requests for comment from Fairfax Media. Labor Party figures aware of the donation said they were concerned about the perception Mr Melhem was trying to tidy up his financial affairs prior to being grilled about them at the commission in September. The source close to the think tank said it had "decided not to bank the donation from Mr Melhem" because of concerns about the source of the funds.

Fairfax Media can also reveal that since he testified last month about his use of the Industry 2020 slush fund, the commission has seized fresh evidence about the internal workings of the Victorian AWU branch for the seven-year period of Mr Melhem's leadership. Mr Melham is expected to be grilled before the commission again later this month. Mr Andrews has stopped short of fully backing the embattled Mr Melhem. Earlier this month, Mr Andrews said he would not give a running commentary on the work of the commission and its investigation of Mr Melhem. Mr Melham set up the slush fund in 2008, generating more than $500,000 in contributions from other unions and employers, including building giants Grocon, John Holland and Thiess. Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten was a guest speaker at two of three Industry 2020 fund-raising events.

According to Mr Melhem's previous public statements, the fund was set up as an election fighting fund and to back "progressive" causes. But Mr Melhem was grilled at the commission last month about whether the slush fund was, in fact, used to back his Labor factional allies, to propel his own career or for personal spending. Mr Melhem did not face re-election as AWU leader after 2008, and was parachuted into the safe upper house seat of Western Metropolitan in 2013. Last week, Fairfax Media identified 55 transactions involving apparent personal spending by Mr Melhem from a credit card linked to Industry 2020, which Mr Melhem shut down prior to his entering State Parliament. Records of Mr Melhem's spending between 2009 and 2013, when he was AWU secretary, reveal outlays on what appear to be luxury items, including restaurants or accommodation at hotels in Singapore, Britain, Lebanon, France and Denmark. In Melbourne, Mr Melham spent $1300 at the Red Emperor restaurant in Southbank, $1225 at Scusami restaurant at Southbank, $4500 at Dan Murphy's and First Choice Liquor, and more than $5000 at JB Hi-Fi.

He also donated $700 to Lebanese Forcez Inc Victoria-Australia, a group that appears to have links to a Lebanese political party and former Christian militia. A Christian, Mr Melhem fought in the Lebanese civil war in the 1980s. It is unclear why the commission has recalled Mr Melhem, although its questioning of him last month did not delve forensically into his possible personal use of the slush fund money. The commission did quiz Mr Melhem about $842 spent on cigars from Habanos Singapore. He told the inquiry the cigars were a gift and that he had later reimbursed the fund. Records obtained by the commission also indicate that, as he prepared to wind the fund up in 2013, Mr Melhem reimbursed Industry 2020 for $4932 of personal spending on an overseas trip in 2012. In September, the commission heard how up to $100,000 was spent by Industry 2020 on elections in the Health Services Union, and of Mr Melhem's payment of cash cheques from the fund to Labor factional players.

Documents tabled at the commission also revealed how the AWU reminded one big employer that the purchase of tickets to AWU-linked fund-raisers helped ensure a "good working relationship".