He has been declared bankrupt, his political career lies in tatters, and now Rod Culleton is on the hook for hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Federal Government.
A letter from the Finance Department advised him he was legally required to pay back his $200,000-a-year salary he earned as a senator, plus what he paid his staff and other expenses, because the High Court found he was never eligible to run for election.
“It’s saying all expenses, I think right down to all the stationery in the office,” he told AM.
The letter advised Special Minister of State Scott Ryan can waive the debt.
Senator Ryan told Sky News he did not want to “prejudge” the matter.
But he said the Department of the Senate and the Finance Department had sent letters to both Mr Culleton and former Family First senator Bob Day.
“As I understand it, because those letters have not come from me, the debts have not yet been raised,” Senator Ryan said.
“But there’s a process to go through that any citizen can apply for about the waiver for a debt to the Commonwealth.”
The Finance Department can also decide not to pursue the debt, and the letter suggests Mr Culleton go about “… providing evidence of your financial circumstances for consideration by the departments in determining what actions to take, noting we understand you have recently been declared bankrupt”.
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