NZ prime minister's deputy chief press secretary Michael Forbes resigns after reportedly recording sex workers without consent

Australia Broadcast Center

3 days ago

The New Zealand prime minister's deputy chief press secretary has resigned after allegedly recording audio of sessions with Wellington sex workers and taking intimate photos of women in public.
A Stuff investigation reported that Michael Forbes, a former journalist, allegedly recorded audio of multiple sessions with Wellington sex workers, and amassed a gallery of women working out at the gym, shopping, and being filmed through a window getting ready to go out.
A Wellington sex worker told Stuff she realised while Mr Forbes was in the shower that his phone's voice recorder was allegedly activated, back in July 2024.
She told the outlet that she and other sex workers working that night asked Forbes for his phone PIN code and they went through his phone. They claim to have found multiple audio recordings of sessions with sex workers, albums full of photos of women, and videos of women getting ready to go out, filmed through a window at night.
Mr Forbes has offered an apology for the harm his actions caused to women.
"I want to offer my sincerest apologies to the women I have harmed," he said in a statement.
"In the past, I was in a downward spiral due to unresolved trauma and stress, and when confronted with the impacts of my behaviour a year ago, I sought professional help, which is something I wish I had done much earlier.
"What I failed to do then was make a genuine attempt to apologise. Instead, I tried to move on without offering those I had harmed the acknowledgement, accountability, or amends they deserved. I recognise how wrong that was."
Mr Forbes said he spent the past year "reflecting on how I may have affected these women's sense of safety and ability to go about their lives and work".
"No one should ever feel violated, unsafe, or disrespected, especially in spaces where they should feel secure, and I am truly sorry for contributing to an environment where women may have felt otherwise," he said.
"The therapy I've received over the past year has helped me to understand the roots of my behaviour and begin addressing the patterns that led to it. This is a long-term commitment to change that I take very seriously.
"I understand that my past actions may have undermined the trust people place in me. So, I have resigned from my job to focus on the work I need to do."
According to John Van Den Heuvel, Wellington District Manager Criminal Investigations, police received a complaint from a Wellington brothel in July last year, after a client was found to have concerning images and recordings on his phone.
Police investigated and spoke to the individual. The case was filed as the event did not meet the threshold for criminal prosecution.
A spokesperson from the prime minister's office said they were informed at 4pm on Tuesday, June 3.
"The matters were immediately raised with Ministerial Services and the prime minister was informed that evening. The allegations were serious and concerning. They were discussed with the staff member on the evening of June 3 and it was clear their employment was untenable," the spokesperson said.
"It was agreed that the staff member was stood down that evening and they resigned the following morning. Had the staff member not resigned, we expect their employment would have been terminated after a short investigation.
"As this is an employment matter between the individual and Ministerial Services, the prime minister will not be able to comment further."
This story was originally published by Radio New Zealand.