Allegations of Campaign Payments
Court documents reveal allegations that advisers for the "bike boy scandal" campaign, targeting former premier Daniel Andrews, provided tens of thousands of dollars in "gifts" to individuals identified as potential witnesses in lawsuits. These allegations are part of a civil case initiated by former campaign lawyer Greg Griffin, who is seeking unpaid fees. The campaign reportedly raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for its legal actions.
Background of the "Bike Boy" Case
The campaign centers around Ryan Meuleman, known as "bike boy," who was 15 when injured in a 2013 collision with a car driven by Catherine Andrews, Daniel Andrews' wife. Police cleared the couple of wrongdoing. Meuleman is currently suing the Andrews for defamation. This follows a settlement in a previous case against his former lawyers, Slater and Gordon, whom he accused of pressurizing him to accept an $80,000 compensation payout from the Transport Accident Commission (TAC).
Campaign Funding and Alleged Expenditures
Records from within the campaign, presented in separate legal actions by former lawyers seeking unpaid fees, suggest the campaign gifted cash from public fundraisers to individuals it intended to call as witnesses.
In December 2024, a spreadsheet was sent to then-lawyer Griffin, detailing the expenditure of over $200,000 in fundraising money.
- Approximately $46,000 was allocated to legal fees.
- Nearly $30,000 was listed for "gifts" and "recompensation" for campaign participants.
Specific payments mentioned include:
- $10,000 in "ex-gratia payments" to former police assistant commissioner Dr. Raymond Shuey, who authored an expert report the campaign intended to use.
- Three separate $1,000 "ex-gratia" payments to three other former police officers, who were intended witnesses.
- Over $14,000 to Ryan Meuleman and his father, Peter, to "recompense" them for Peter's varicose veins surgery and Ryan's "various fines."
Standard legal practice allows for compensation of reasonable witness expenses (e.g., travel) and expert fees for report preparation, not general "gifts."
Campaign Leadership and Legal Disputes
The campaign's legal actions were reportedly driven by a small group of "external advisers," including PR veteran Rohan Wenn and amateur detective Colin Robertson, rather than solely by the Meulemans.
Former lawyers Greg Griffin and George Defteros both claim they were terminated by Wenn as they neared settlement in Meuleman's initial lawsuit against Slater and Gordon, and both report unpaid fees. They state they raised concerns that the campaign's focus might no longer align with Ryan Meuleman's best interests.
Wenn stated that Dr. Shuey was compensated for his expert witness time, and his family's invoice was paid after his death. He also claimed the other three ex-officers were not intended witnesses for the Slater and Gordon case, contradicting Griffin's assertions.
Meuleman and Wenn dispute the claims and bills from Griffin and Defteros. They allege Griffin's payment agreement was with "high-net worth donors" whose contributions did not materialize, and that GoFundMe money was not intended for the Meulemans' lawyers, despite public statements.
Robertson, who later quit the team in June 2025, stated he was not personally responsible for hiring lawyers or funding decisions, attributing these to "committee consensus." He acknowledged sending the spreadsheet detailing payments and that Griffin performed legal work based on "group level" instructions.
Campaign Finances and Current Status
In March 2025, after reports that the Meuleman family lacked access to the campaign's $260,000 GoFundMe fundraiser (held by Wenn and Robertson's private company), Peter Meuleman was added to the fund's paperwork.
The company managing the fund was subsequently deregistered, and a new fundraiser was established. As of March this year, it has raised an additional $133,000 for the defamation lawsuit against the Andrews and an attempted private criminal prosecution for alleged obstruction of justice, which has not proceeded.
Wenn stated the Meuleman family now oversees GoFundMe donations but did not comment on whether campaign organizers, including himself, have been paid.
Meuleman's defamation case against Daniel Andrews and his wife is ongoing in the Federal Court.
Daniel Andrews' defense documents describe the suit as "politically motivated" and part of a coordinated smear campaign.