Whistleblower Troy Stolz (Images: Troy Stolz/Twitter, Adobe)

One of the most powerful lobby groups in the country insists it is not trying to “gag” a whistleblower despite demanding he stop talking to the media and hand over his correspondence with journalists. 

ClubsNSW has sought an injunction to stop Troy Stolz, a former anti-money laundering compliance auditor, from speaking to the media while it sues him for blowing the whistle on alleged money laundering operations that used the state’s poker machines.

In a Federal Court hearing on Monday the gambling group said recent comments made by Stolz to the media, including Crikey, were an attempt to “improperly interfere” with the case. 

“The obvious purpose behind these communications to the press are to assert pressure and influence on [ClubsNSW],” said Christopher Withers SC, counsel representing the body. 

Withers said Stolz had waged an “inflammatory and misleading public campaign” outside the courtroom. This included making “deliberately misleading” claims on his GoFundMe page about the case, and “deeply problematic communication” with reporters. Withers rejected the idea that the order was trying to “suppress” or silence Stolz from talking about money laundering. 

“What Mr Stolz is doing … is an attempt to improperly interfere with my client’s prosecution of this case,” he said.

Stolz’ lawyers were forced to apologise on Friday for a retweet by Stolz that was disparaging towards the court. But Geoffrey Watson QC, representing Stolz, said that while his client had made some errors of fact about the case on the GoFundMe page he is using to help fund for his legal defence, the gag order went far beyond the matters raised in the legal dispute, and would prevent him from talking to any “third party”. 

“It would mean Mr Stolz could not tell his lawyers things and his lawyers couldn’t repeat it,” he said. ClubsNSW denied this was the intention. 

Watson insisted that there was public interest in Stolz sharing his story with the media. “This involves a larger issue — the role of poker machines in Australia,” he said.

“It may well be that Mr Stolz loses his case, but that’s his perception about what this case is about, and it has a public interest.” 

A judgment has been reserved.