Smyth revealed that multimillionaire businessman Ben Dunne financed an extension to the home of the Transport, Energy and Communications minister.
In his book Thanks a Million Big Fella, he wrote about the story he uncovered regarding multimillionaire Ben Dunne, head of Ireland's richest family, who financed an extension to the home of minister Michael Lowry in the governing Fine Gael party.
[3] On 13 December 2005, using Dáil privilege,[4] Michael McDowell claimed that Frank Connolly, an investigative journalist and a brother of one of the 'Colombia Three', had travelled to Colombia under a false passport.
[5] McDowell subsequently leaked the alleged faked passport application to a friend, the journalist Sam Smyth of the Irish Independent.
"[8] Smyth defended the defamation claim, stating he "did not call Michael Lowry TD a thief, but did believe he was a liar and a tax cheat".
Smyth had previously offended his bosses by commenting in a newspaper and on television about the Moriarty Tribunal which criticised Today FM owner Denis O'Brien.
[14] The Irish Independent, of which Denis O'Brien is a leading shareholder, reported that Anton Savage was being lined up to replace Sam Smyth.