National MP David MacLeod. Photo: RNZ
Police have decided not to take any action against National MP David MacLeod's failure to disclose $178,394 in donations.
The Electoral Commission referred the matter to police in June after the MP for New Plymouth had a month earlier unveiled what he called an "inadvertent error".
A police spokesperson said they had "completed their enquiries into this matter and no further action will be taken" in a statement to RNZ on Thursday.
The backbench MP had originally disclosed just $29,268 in donations from seven donors, but later amended it to $207,662 from 24 donors.
In May MacLeod said he thought he was filing a return for the 2023 year only, so left out 18 donations he had received when he became a candidate the previous year.
He also failed to disclose a $10,000 donation from 2023, which he said was a mistake he could not explain.
MacLeod said he "always fully intended for these donations to be made public" and had never tried to hide them, having written to all donors indicating amounts over $1500 would be disclosed.
The MP was immediately stood down from his roles on the environment and finance select committees by National leader and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
In May, Luxon said MacLeod's path back to select committee roles was up to him.
"It's about him demonstrating he's a great member of the team - he is a valued member of our team - but he has work to do, and the way to do that is to show us he's a good local MP, championing for his people in New Plymouth and doing everything we ask of him in Parliament."
It was the National Party that discovered the error when it was consolidating its annual accounts, which led to MacLeod conducting a full audit of his 2022 and 2023 expenses and donations.
In a statement to RNZ, MacLeod said: "I've been really upfront that I made a mistake in my electoral return."
"It's a great relief that the police have concluded their investigation and will take no action. I look forward to continuing my work for the people of New Plymouth and as a National MP," he said.
Luxon is in Tonga at the Pacific Islands' Forum. RNZ has sought comment.
