Wellington mayoral candidate Ray Chung apologises for inappropriate email about Mayor Tory Whanau. Photo: Supplied / Facebook
Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau says she has received an apology from Ray Chung over an email he sent to other councillors with third-hand claims.
Chung sent an email, seen by RNZ, to three fellow councillors in early 2023 recounting a story he'd been told by his neighbour about the neighbour's son allegedly having a sexual encounter with the mayor.
The email surfaced last week. Whanau rejected the contents of the email and said it was false and contained a "malicious and sexist" rumour.
Whanau said Chung emailed her to apologise this afternoon.
"It's for him to share [the apology] publicly. My focus remains on our city's progress," she said in a statement.
Yesterday Chung released a video statement in which he was expected to apologise.
In it he said, "I regret writing it and I regret sharing it with people whom I thought trustworthy".
He went on to say his email had been released now as an attempt to discredit him and his mayoral campaign.
"This attack on me and our Independent Together candidates is designed to undermine our campaign."
Chung said the email's release was a "blatant political attack".
He said since the email's contents had surfaced he had encountered abuse in public.
Whanau said in the statement she had "decided to speak publicly and take a stand against unethical and dirty politics because our city deserves elected members who uphold the highest standards of respect, honesty, and integrity".
"It's not just about me; it's about protecting the integrity of our democracy.
"I look forward to creating more awareness of this unethical behaviour and advocating for ways to create safer pathways for women into politics.
"Those who wish to stand for public office, particularly women and Māori, deserve this. Our constituents deserve this too."
A spokesperson for Chung confirmed he had sent Whanau a private email apology.
Meanwhile, the Mayor's Office has confirmed that Whanau provided a copy of the 2023 email to the New Zealand Herald, which first reported the story.
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