Confidential report found former home affairs boss Michael Pezzullo was ‘reckless’ in engagement with Liberal powerbroker | Freedom of information

The former head of the Home Office’s relationship with a Liberal powerbroker was “reckless”, “ill-advised” and beyond the bounds of normal public service practice, according to a previously unpublished confidential report.

The independent investigation led to the dismissal of Michael Pezzullo as Home Office secretary in November 2023, after it was found to have breached the government’s code of conduct at least 14 times. This included using his power for personal gain.

The investigation investigated a series of messages Pezzullo allegedly sent to Liberal party insider Scott Briggs in an attempt to influence political processes. The report found no evidence of misconduct by Briggs, and the Guardian does not suggest it.

The report, by former Australian civil service commissioner Lynelle Briggs, who is not affiliated with Scott Briggs, was not published by the government at the time. But former independent senator Rex Patrick this week obtained the partially redacted report after more than two years of a freedom of information fight and made the document available to media outlets including Guardian Australia.

The report described Pezzullo’s behavior as “bad advice, recklessness and a step too far in terms of the limits of normal public service practice.”

The report revealed that Pezzullo had been trying to develop views and interests with Scott Briggs for many years. The investigation concluded that the duration of the engagement meant it could not be viewed as a “one-off or temporary error of judgement”.

“In these circumstances, it is difficult to imagine that he can be trusted now or in the future by governments or colleagues of political persuasion,” Lynette Briggs wrote in the 66-page report.

The investigation revealed that Pezzullo attempted to influence or interfere with ministerial appointments to suit his personal interests.

The report said Pezzullo admitted using his relationship with Scott Briggs and Liberal insiders’ connections to two prime ministers – Scott Morrison and Malcolm Turnbull – to convey his views on the machinery of government and ministerial appointments.

The report also stated that Pezzullo failed to avoid and declare a conflict of interest in awarding a contract to Scott Briggs’ company, DPG Advisory, in 2021.

Lynelle Briggs also confirmed Pezzullo’s claim that he was involved in “gossip and disrespectful criticism” of ministers and public servants.

The report found that Pezzullo violated departmental confidentiality multiple times by sending messages to Scott Briggs about sensitive government matters.

“Mr. Pezzullo’s behavior was exacerbated by the fact that Mr. Briggs did not have security clearances that would normally provide protection,” the report said.

Patrick, who was a South Australian senator between 2017 and 2022, said department secretaries had “considerable power, influence and responsibilities”.

“Trust can only come from transparency; the public must see the nature of the allegations, the way they are investigated and dealt with (including finding unfounded allegations), and see that an official can fearlessly assist in the investigation and be proud (and congratulated) for doing so,” he said in a statement.

The investigation explored revelations on the Age and 60 Minutes about a series of messages sent between Pezzullo and Lynelle Briggs and Liberal powerbroker Scott Briggs, who is no relation, over the mostly encrypted platforms Signal and WhatsApp. In his messages, Pezzullo belittled senior Coalition ministers and advocated for a right-wing figure to be the minister in charge of his department.

After the Albanian government was elected in May 2022, Pezzullo was retained as home affairs boss. In September 2023, then home secretary Clare O’Neil asked Pezzullo to step aside pending the outcome of the investigation into the leaked messages.

Pezzullo, who became one of Australia’s most senior and powerful bureaucrats, was Labor leader Kim Beazley’s former deputy chief of staff. In October 2014, he rose through the civil service ranks to become secretary of what was then the Department of Immigration and Border Protection. He later led the newly created home affairs superdepartment, which he championed in 2017.

Pezzullo was stripped of his Order of Australia duties in September 2024 by the independent body that conducts the ceremonies.

Pezzullo declined to comment when contacted by Guardian Australia on Saturday.