James Ashby

In April 2000, Ashby's co-host Olivia Scott became embroiled in controversy when she read a mock apology to the Stolen Generations on air, which was sent in by a listener.

Scott was suspended and the station was found to have breached its licence conditions as the content racially vilified Aboriginal Australians.

Ashby has said that watching Scott endure the media attention associated with the controversy without being able to help her was the lowest point of his radio career.

Reasons for his departure remain unclear but local media reported at the time that Ashby was considering taking legal action against the station following his dismissal.

In October 2002, Ashby resigned from NXFM after he was charged with verbally harassing another radio presenter at rival station, NEW FM.

[7] Before becoming media advisor for Peter Slipper, Ashby was employed as marketing manager for Gowinta Farms on the Sunshine Coast.

At the time, Slipper said he viewed Ashby's decision to withdraw the opportunity to have the allegations tested in court as being vindication against any wrongdoing.

[14] Several months later, Ashby said in a television interview that he had been promised a job and legal funding by Slipper's former party colleague Christopher Pyne, after telling him of the sexual harassment.

The search warrants also related to any material associating federal MPs Christopher Pyne and Wyatt Roy, who were both suspected of offering Ashby inducements to complain about Slipper.

It also aired contents of a Facebook message that Ashby allegedly sent back to the boy previously, just prior to commencing his role as media advisor.

In a statement, the Queensland Police Service said they were in the process of determining whether any person was wanting to make an official complaint and whether there was enough evidence for prosecution.

As Ashby holds a pilot's licence, he also spends time flying Hanson to and from political events and commitments around the country.

[26]) Also in November, Ashby told journalists not to ask off-topic questions at a press conference held by Senator Malcolm Roberts.

[31] In May 2017, an audio recording of Ashby suggesting that One Nation over-inflate prices on campaign material sold to their candidates for financial profit in upcoming state elections was leaked.

[32] In November 2017, Ashby called then One Nation member Stephen Lane, who was an independent candidate for the seat of Thuringowa, and threatened to cancel Lanes's membership if he did not take down a video on his Facebook page explaining to the public that he was a One Nation member but had decided to run for the seat of Thuringowa as an independent because of the lack of transparency in the party.

[33] In February 2019, Ashby was involved in a physical altercation with Senator Brian Burston, who had made a sexual harassment claim against Pauline Hanson.

In March 2019, it was revealed that Ashby had been secretly captured on video with Steve Dickson courting the National Rifle Association of America (NRA) seeking funds for Pauline Hanson's One Nation, with the promise to weaken Australia's gun laws if they gained the balance of power in the Australian parliament.

[37][38][39] Al Jazeera conducted a three-year long operation to uncover this activity, by having a person called Rodger Muller pose as the head of a fake gun lobby group, Gun Rights Australia, then having Muller record meetings he attended with Ashby and Queensland state leader of Pauline Hanson's One Nation, Steve Dickson, where strategies to seek support from the National Rifle Association and at least one of their large corporate benefactor were discussed.

Speaking to "Rodger Muller", Dickson said that "If they threw ten million dollars at us, we could fucking win a heap of seats.

"[37] Though both Ashby and Dickson declined Al Jazeera's invitation to comment on the footage, ABC News reported that "In a statement, Mr Ashby has accused Al Jazeera of being 'a state-owned propaganda arm of the Qatari Government that supports Islamic extremist groups and are not a legitimate media organisation.

It is understood One Nation was targeted because of its strong approach to reducing immigration numbers and a travel ban on countries with terrorism links.