Steele-John apologizes over leaked letter

Jordon Steele-John will not attend Senate sittings next week. The Greens senator from Western Australia confirmed his absence while an independent investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct continues.

Steele-John apologized for publicly posting a confidential three-page letter on Saturday. The document, dated October 13, had been sent to Greens leader David Shoebridge earlier this month. It outlined claims that the 32-year-old behaved inappropriately toward women between 2017 and 2025. Steele-John removed the social media post after learning the full letter was circulating online.

"I'm now not sure that was the right call and I've taken it down," Steele-John said. "I am really sorry for any additional stress it caused." He denied all claims in the letter.

A dispute with Shoebridge clouded the senator's attendance earlier this year. Shoebridge stated that Steele-John requested leave and that he accepted it last week. Seven party members had written to Shoebridge urging an investigation. Steele-John has disputed that he agreed to take leave.

The letter cited a 2024 allegation of sexual harassment at a Greens campaign event. It also referenced a 2025 claim of serious sexual misconduct. Steele-John said the latter was raised by a former partner and investigated by Western Australian police. Police closed that investigation in May with no charges laid.

The document also noted a nickname for the senator, "feels on wheels," which authors linked to a reputation for inappropriate behavior. The letter stressed that an allegation does not equal guilt. It called for every claim to be investigated thoroughly in the party's interest.

Steele-John rejected the allegations in a statement last Sunday. He accused an unofficial faction within the WA branch of leaking the letter to remove him from the Senate. He described the move as playing "nasty political games" and said the claims should be examined fairly.

The complaints are now under review by an independent panel commissioned by the WA Greens. They have also been referred to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission. Steele-John said he will focus on seeing the investigation through to its conclusion.