Mosman Councillor Admits Taking Community Databases While Whistleblower Faces Chop

The Mosman NSW Councillor, who admitted that he illegally used a local rowing club database to try and win the job of Mayor, has been let off with a slap over the wrist while the person who exposed his questionable activities is facing expulsion from the Mosman Rowers.On the 18th of October, Councillor Simon Menzies wrote to the Rowers club board admitting that he not only accessed the Mosman Rowers club database without authority, but other local community databases.

Despite these admissions, the board of the Mosman Rowers Club–whose Vice President is Tim James. Chief of Staff to the Minister Anthony Roberts–have backed Menzies. They have also left him in charge of managing the clubs databases.

Meanwhile whistleblower Mike Sprange, a former IT partner at Price Waterhouse Coopers and Mosman Rowers Club member, who exposed Menzies’ illegal actions to the board, is facing being dumped from the club for what has been described as “Conduct unbecoming” and “For bringing the club into disrepute”.

To date, Menzies has not identified which other local community databases he used for his political campaign.

In an email from Simon Menzies to the board of the Mosman Rowers he wrote:

“As you are aware, the email addresses of club members were uploaded to my database system a considerable time ago. I prepare the clubs newsletter and distribute it through mynewsletterbuilder.com at my cost.

Recently, I consolidated a number of community databases, including the Mosman Rowers database, into a single database to distribute election material. Many of the addresses on the Mosman Rowers database were already on my main database as I had previously had contact with them on various issues including club business. However, many were not.

Subsequently, I sent out election material in email that included an Unsubscribe tab. The Unsubscribe tab allows those not wishing to receive this material to remove their email address from the database. At the time I did not consider my actions to be inappropriate, however on reflection I realise that I was wrong and apologise unreservedly for my actions”.

Last night Menzies suddenly left a local residents meeting called to discuss a controversial DA application claiming that he had to attend a Mosman Rowers Club Meeting. However Rowers Board Members have confirmed today that Menzies failed to turn up at the Board meeting to explain his actions.