'No claims': Taxpayers' Union 'categorically denies' sexual harassment payout claim in Nicky Hager book

The Taxpayers' Union has rejected a claim in Nicky Hager's latest book that it settled an employment dispute involving allegations of sexual harassment against its executive director.Hager's book Dirty Work, released on Tuesday evening, focuses on the organisation and its influence on New Zealand politics, in what he describes as its attempt to "shift New Zealand to the hard right direction".In one chapter, Hager writes about the background of the Taxpayers' Union's executive director Jordan Williams, including claims about his behaviour."Also mentioned was a colleague who had been paid out in a sexual harassment case brought against Williams, the details of which were secret. It was not sexual abuse but textbook sexual harassment.'"Hager wrote the Taxpayers' Union board had paid out money "to deal with several employment disputes (male and female) in recent years, sometimes more than one at a time, and at least one sexual harassment case against Williams".Nicky Hager at the launch of his book Dirty Work.RNZ / Melanie PhippsOn Tuesday evening, Taxpayers Union chair Ruth Richardson said the organisation "categorically denies" Hager's allegation the organisation had ever made any payment to settle a sexual harassment claim against Williams."There have been no claims, let alone settlements," Richardson said."I have spoken directly with previous chairs and with the organisation's co-founder, who served on the board until 2023. All are unequivocal: the allegation is totally untrue."Approaching Williams for comment on this, he pointed RNZ to earlier comments he had made."This really came from nowhere, the suggestion that there is a settlement of some kind or allegations in relation to that that were settled is totally false."Williams said Richardson had checked with all previous chairs of the organisation and it was "totally wrong".He said the book's primary objective was to derail the Taxpayers' Union, and he was "not going to let a far-left activist successfully derail" their plans for the election.Hager told NZME on Wednesday morning he wouldn't make an allegation like that "without very solid information"."In this case it was two separate sources who knew about what had happened, they also knew that it had been very carefully hidden - even from members of their own board, because they didn't want the settlement to be known about."Hager emphasised that the allegation was not sexual assault, but "textbook sexual harassment".Asked if he had "hard evidence", Hager said yes, "multiple credible sources", and that the woman involved went to a lawyer at the time who was involved in reaching the settlement.Hager wouldn't say if he'd spoken to the lawyer, but said he wouldn't have printed it if he wasn't confident it was the truth.RNZ has approached Williams about other allegations raised in Dirty Work regarding his behaviour.Released at an event in Wellington on Tuesday evening, Hager described the book, subtitled The Taxpayers' Union and New Zealand's Hard Right, as an exposé of the organisation.Speaking to media afterwards, Hager said there was no suggestion of any criminal behaviour.He also defended the timing of the book, which like Dirty Politics, has landed before an election."I thought, what are people going to say to me if I put out a book a week, a year, or a month or two after an election? They're going to say to me, 'why the hell didn't you tell us what was going on before we voted?'"An email sent to Taxpayers' Union members following the book's release said Hager had not put his allegations to the organisation, or sought an interview.Hager said that was because unlike articles, books were "uniquely vulnerable" to being hit by injunctions.