Defunct Jordan Henry Williams (born 1986) is a New Zealand lawyer best known for his political activities, which are often connected to the National or ACT parties, and his lobbying for liberal and conservative causes.
[5][6] In the second half of the 2010s a lengthy defamation dispute between Williams and former Conservative Party leader Colin Craig reached the Supreme Court.
Williams was initially awarded a New Zealand record amount of $1.27M (overturned on appeal), but ended up issuing an apology and making an undisclosed payment to Craig in a negotiated settlement.
[12] In 2014, Nicky Hager's book Dirty Politics alleged that Williams had been involved in blackmailing Rodney Hide to stand down in favour of Brash.
Williams was included in three separate exchanges covered in the book, and Hager later characterised him as an "enthusiastic helper, ready to help dig dirt on the latest target".
[14][15] After the book came out Williams said that he and Slater still spoke "every day", but that he had fallen out with another of the key players, political strategist Simon Lusk.
[16][17] As a Taxpayer Union spokesman Williams has opposed raising the minimum wage,[18] workplace safety training,[19] broadcast funding for The Civilian Party,[20] tobacco tax increases (a position that the Taxpayers' Union took without declaring its tobacco industry relationships),[21][22] the Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund,[23] Māori wards in local government,[24] and the Three Waters reforms.
Writing mostly about politics, tax and spending, his articles variously declared his interest as Chief Executive of the Taxpayers' Union, or only as "a Wellington-based lawyer, lobbyist and commentator".
[26][27][28] Williams founded the Auckland Ratepayers' Alliance as a company in 2015, using the Taxpayers' Union in Wellington as its registered office address.
[6][5] The Campaign Company's clients include Groundswell NZ[5] and Don Brash's lobby group, Hobson's Pledge.
[43] The company's working relationship with Molloy ended after the Auckland Ratepayers' Alliance (also run by Williams) criticised him in a full page newspaper ad.
[45] It was found to be funded by British American Tobacco and Imperial Brands, and its message was disavowed by the 6000-member Dairy and Business Owners Group.
He then used the information to persuade the party's board to end Craig's leadership, and in articles he wrote under a pseudonym ("Concerned Conservative") on right-wing blog WhaleOil.
Among a number of witnesses called by Craig, Martyn "Bomber" Bradbury gave evidence of Williams' character, describing him as "manipulative", a "political sadist" and like "a venomous spider".
[53][54] Allegations of Craig's behaviour towards MacGregor had not been public until they were presented as evidence by Williams, and she told the High Court that she felt "on trial by proxy" and "didn't want to be part of...this, their defamation thing, two men angry about something.