Former CMFEU leader and son plead guilty to corruption

A former CFMEU state secretary and his son have pleaded guilty to long-standing corruption charges.

Darren Greenfield and his son Michael, a former NSW branch assistant secretary, had been accused of accepting bribes from a building company for preferential treatment from the union and access to contracts, spanning as far back as 2018.

On Tuesday at the Downing Centre Local Court, the senior Greenfield pleaded guilty to two counts of receiving or soliciting a corrupting benefit, with two other counts of the same charge withdrawn.

His son pleaded guilty to one count of receiving or soliciting a corrupting benefit along with another count of wilfully or corruptly making a false declaration.

Both have had their bail extended before being sentenced on May 26.

The charges were first brought in 2021 and became the subject of intense interest last year after an investigation into alleged union corruption by Nine newspapers.

The CFMEU’s construction arm was put into administration after a move against union leadership by the Albanese government following the allegations.

Darren Greenfield’s employment with the CFMEU was terminated on the same day, after Michael had resigned as the union’s NSW branch assistant secretary several weeks earlier amid media scrutiny.