It might be sour and vengeful, but Kim Dotcom's ongoing campaign against John Banks will raise doubts — and more so given ACT's watery comments about a John Banks political comeback.
Chris Keall talks about John Banks on NBR Radio
John Banks was acquitted yesterday. He gave an emotional press conference that made great television (watch a portion here). People love a redemption story. There was immediately talk he could run for the Auckland mayoralty next year.
I don't think he will. There's a giant German standing in the way.
Although the Court of Appeal drew a line under Mr Banks’ case in legal terms, Kim Dotcom made it clear he wouldn’t let it lie.
Last night he tweeted:
He also challenged Mr Banks’ claim that Mr Dotcom said, “If you don’t get me out of jail, I will destroy you,” saying Mt Eden jail phone records would back up his story.
His tweets soon appeared on TV screens and other media.
Mr Dotcom’s comments were sour. Many will find his twisting of the knife self-serving and vengeful. And it is. But, if Mr Banks runs for mayor, Mr Dotcom is going to twist the blade again and again. And even if he's muzzled over campaign donations, he's going to keep bringing up Mr Banks' visits to Dotcom Mansion and the forgotten helicopter ride. It will raise doubts in people’s minds that the former ACT MP and National cabinet minister was, if not guilty of breaching the Electoral Act, then guilty of poor judgment. In a close race – and Phil Goff is lining up as a solid centre-left candidate – that could be enough to sink him.
With friends like these
Meanwhile, Mr Banks has received only tepid support from his former party.
ACT leader David Seymour said this morning he had yet to call Mr Banks. He had sent a congratulatory text.
Asked if ACT would have Mr Banks back, Mr Seymour repeatedly dodged the question. When pressed, he said, “He’ll always be a friend of the party. I don’t see him being a candidate.”
On the easier question of whether he endorsed Mr Banks as a candidate for mayor, Mr Seymour was still watery, offering only “Let’s give everybody who wants to run [against Len Brown] some encouragement.”
