Two more candidates have quit Wellington mayoral hopeful Ray Chung’s campaign group as the fallout continues from a ‘vile’ gossip-filled email he sent about Tory Whanau.
The pair have ended their association with Independent Together following revelations Chung sent an email to councillors two years ago, title="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/exclusive-wellington-mayoral-candidate-ray-chungs-sex-and-drugs-gossip-about-tory-whanau/YIEIRU6J3FF7POYARBERTAW6FA/">detailing a sex and drugs rumour about mayor Whanau.
It brings the number of candidates who have quit the group this week to three. The email’s existence was revealed last Friday.
On Wednesday evening Lily Brown announced she could not “in good conscience” continue her association with the group, set up by associated organisation Better Wellington.
“Unfortunately, I no longer feel aligned with the tactics or political approach employed by Better Wellington” she said.
At 9:05pm last night, Northern Takapu ward candidate Andrea Compton said in a statement she too was ending her association with the group.
Within the hour Pukehīnau Lambton ward candidate Dan Milward also quit the group.
“Like many others, I was surprised by the recent allegations and the subsequent media coverage storm” he said.
“When my wife was threatened by the agitators at our final roadshow event in Wellington CBD on Tuesday night, I knew it was time to take a different approach.”
Videos posted to social media have seen public meetings held by the group descend into chaos with hecklers and event organisers clashing.
When contacted for comment, Chung said he “didn’t know” about the departures.
He was at the Local Government New Zealand conference on Thursday and said he hadn’t communicated with anyone all day.
In a statement, an Independent Together spokesman blamed the media scrutiny over the email scandal - rather than the lewd email itself - for the departures.
“The political machinations at play have an enormous psychological impact for all of the candidates,” the statement said.
“The accompanying media coverage and the scrutiny on the team has been intense.”
They are not the first to leave the group.
Engineering firm director Phil McConchie, Cuba Barbers owner Mike Petrie, and Melissa Moore had all disappeared from the group’s website before Chung’s official campaign launch in June.
Chung said at the time that they each left after the group was launched in April, as they struggled to manage the commitments needed to run for council with their own professional demands.
Chung said he was “not fussed” by the departures and didn’t think it was a bad look for Independent Together. He said he was glad they left before they had officially declared their candidacy with the council.
Tory Whanau said Chung emailed her an apology on Monday, the same day Prime Minister Christopher Luxon slammed Chung’s comments.
“That was unacceptable content in that email, really pretty vile and unacceptable stuff”, Luxon said when asked about it at his post-Cabinet press conference.
The email’s existence has also cost Chung an important backer, with rich-list philanthropist Sir Mark Dunajtschik officially withdrawing his support for the mayoral candidate.
Chung has called the situation a “blatant political attack” and a “smear campaign”.
Six candidates, including Chung, remain on the Independent Together ticket for the upcoming Wellington City Council election.
Ethan Manera is a New Zealand Herald journalist based in Wellington. He joined NZME in 2023 as a broadcast journalist with Newstalk ZB and is interested in local issues, politics, and property in the capital. Ethan can be emailed at ethan.manera@nzme.co.nz.