[1] During the 1936 legislative period of the 8th Dáil Hayes was one of two candidates representing the Irish republican political party Cumann Poblachta na hÉireann.
[5][6] His time in office was marred by controversy and it is widely believed that he served as an informer to the Irish Police - the Garda Síochána.
He is also known to have met with German agent Hermann Görtz on 21 May 1940 in Dublin shortly after the latter's parachuting into Ireland on 5 May 1940 as part of Operation Mainau.
Hayes is known to have asked Görtz for money and arms to wage a campaign in Northern Ireland but Gortz was reluctant to provide funds.
Senior IRA men Paddy McGrath and Tom Harte were arrested, charged with the murders and tried by Military Tribunal, established under the Emergency Powers Act 1939.
In his written confession Hayes admits to providing the address of the meeting to government officials which resulted in the capture of Harte and McGrath.
[13] Hayes was court-martialed by senior IRA men - Charlie McCarthy from Cork, Tom Farrell from Connemara and Pearse Kelly from Tyrone.
[14] By his own account, he was tortured and court-martialed for treason by his comrades, and would have been executed, but he bought himself time composing an enormously long confession (160 pages).