Michael Forbes, who had recently been promoted to Christopher Luxon’s deputy chief press secretary after working for Minister Louise Upston, was the subject of a 2024 investigationafter police received a report from a Wellington brothel manager on July 12.
He was accused of making audio recordings of sex workers without their knowledge, as well as taking photos of women in compromising positions at the gym.
In a statement last week, Detective Inspector John Van Den Heuvel said police earlier seized Forbes’ two phones, including his Government-issued phone, where they found “a number of photos and video of women in public spaces, and what appears to be women in private addresses, taken from a distance away”.
“Police considered the available evidence and concluded it did not meet the requirements for criminality, and therefore charges could not be filed.”
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and former press secretary Michael Forbes (left). Photo / Mark Mitchell
The Herald visited Les Mills gym on Lambton Quay in central Wellington where manager Josh Brodie said he was unable to comment.
The manager of the Taranaki St branch, Tristan Laubscher, said in a statement he could not comment on members, ex-members or visitors, “but in a situation such as you’ve presented, a person’s membership would be terminated with immediate effect”.
“Any allegations of this nature are taken extremely seriously and dealt with appropriately, as they represent a clear breach of our club rules. The safety and security of our members and team remain our top priority and we constantly review safeguarding policies to ensure the gym is a place where everyone feels safe and protected.”
The Herald visited Les Mills, Lambton Quay but was told the manager could not comment. Photo / Melissa Nightingale
He did not respond to further questions about whether the gym had been approached by police, and if there was any message they wanted to send to existing members.
One of the sex workers who raised the story visited one of the gyms to tell them about what had been happening.
She told Stuff the response from the gym had not been good enough.
“It’s a word salad. I left that gym because I didn’t know if I’d see him. If I was a woman at that gym, I would definitely want to know what had been done.”
Last week, Van Den Heuvel, manager of Wellington police’s criminal investigations unit, said “the individual concerned” spoke voluntarily to police and admitted to taking the recordings and images, deleting them in front of police.
While he acknowledged Forbes’ behaviour was “extremely distressing” and any new information would be “thoroughly considered”, the police would not progress the matter any further based on current evidence.
The allegations related to Forbes were made public in a Stuff report last week.
Luxon’s office was informed of the issue through the journalist’s questions on Tuesday. The police last year hadn’t informed the Government of the investigation.
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers, who was not in the role at the time of the investigation, said any decision to inform the Government under the no surprises convention was a matter for the commissioner, who at that time was Andrew Coster.
Coster, now chief executive of the Government’s Social Investment Agency, claimed to the Herald he hadn’t been made aware of the investigation until last week, despite Chambers on Thursday stating members of the police’s executive team had been informed.
Coster made no further comment and police have declined the Herald’s request to interview a member of its executive team.
Luxon ‘shocked’ and ‘frustrated’ at revelation
Luxon expressed “absolute shock”, “frustration and anger” at the allegations and the impact it has had.
He said an Internal Affairs’ review into the matter would be a “deep dive” into the security vetting processes Forbes was subject to and the level of communication between agencies in relation to the police investigation.
Press secretary Michael Forbes (left) seen here walking with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Minister Louise Upston. Photo / Mark Mitchell
He described the allegations as “serious and concerning”.
“They were discussed with the staff member on the evening of June 3 and it was clear their employment was untenable.
“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.”
Forbes declined to be interviewed last week but in a statement to the Herald said he wanted to apologise to the women and recognised the harm he had caused.
Forbes said he had failed to make a genuine attempt to apologise and had tried to move on without offering the women accountability and acknowledgement.
But therapy had helped him reflect on his behaviour and address what had led to it.
“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.”
Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice, and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.
