PM’s Acting Dep. Press Secretary and ex-Stuff journalist resigns over secret recordings of women

Michael Forbes, the acting deputy chief press secretary to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and a former Stuff journalist, has resigned following allegations that he secretly recorded audio of sex workers and took non-consensual photographs of women in public places.

It is alleged that Forbes activated his phone’s recorder during sessions with Wellington sex workers and stored multiple audio files, along with dozens of covertly taken images of women at gyms, supermarkets, and even through windows of private residences.

A sex worker told his former employer Stuff that Forbes admitted to recording her during a session, and that she and others found the disturbing content after gaining access to his phone. The content reportedly included intimate photos of women asleep, undressing, and in compromising gym poses, interspersed with political images of Forbes in his government role. Police received a complaint in July 2023 from a Wellington brothel but determined the case did not meet the threshold for prosecution.

The Prime Minister’s Office said it became aware of the allegations late yesterday afternoon through a journalist inquiry and immediately stood Forbes down. He resigned this morning.

Forbes previously worked as press secretary to Minister Louise Upston, and as a journalist for legacy media outlet Stuff, before joining the Prime Minister’s team in February.

In a statement, Forbes apologised to the women affected, citing unresolved trauma and a failure to properly acknowledge the harm he caused. He said therapy had helped him reflect on his actions and committed to continued work on addressing the underlying behaviour.

Ministerial Services confirmed that, had he not resigned, his employment would have likely been terminated after a short investigation.

Prime Minister Luxon declined to comment further, citing the matter as an employment issue.