Walter Sofronoff Found Guilty of Serious Corrupt Conduct in Lehrmann Inquiry

The ACT Integrity Commission determined Sofronoff's unauthorized disclosures to journalists undermined public confidence and invalidated findings against Shane Drumgold.

The ACT Integrity Commission concluded that Walter Sofronoff, head of the Bruce Lehrmann inquiry, engaged in serious corrupt conduct by leaking confidential materials to journalists before their official release.
Sofronoff's actions breached confidentiality obligations under the Inquiries Act and were deemed likely to undermine public trust in the inquiry's integrity.
The ACT Supreme Court invalidated findings against former Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold due to Sofronoff's bias, highlighting procedural failures during the inquiry.
Sofronoff claimed his disclosures were in the public interest to ensure accurate media reporting, but the Commission found he acted in bad faith, favoring journalists' interests over inquiry participants and officials.
No findings of misconduct were made against the journalists who received the leaked materials, while Drumgold resigned following the inquiry's public release but stated he would have delayed his resignation if given earlier access to the report.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation