Watch: Jami-Lee Ross - 'I believe Simon Bridges is a corrupt politician'
National MP Jami-Lee Ross is to resign his seat and step down from the National Party, and will stand as an independent in any by-election for his Botany seat.
Watch Jami-Lee Ross speaking to media
at Parliament:
Speaking to media at Parliament, he alleged Mr Bridges had broken electoral donation law and said he would put in an official police complaint.
Mr Ross was speaking as MPs met in caucus to decide whether to suspend him after leader National leader Simon Bridges yesterday identified Mr Ross as the likely leaker of his travel expenses. Minutes before this was revealed, Mr Ross went on Twitter with a range of allegations against the leader.
Mr Ross said today it was clear he'd had a falling out with with leader Simon Bridges.
He said he once thought Mr Bridges was capable of being Prime Minster, "but now that I see what he's really like it is clear that he's not".
"Simon is a flawed individual without a moral compass."
Mr Ross said Mr Bridges breached electoral law several times, and that it was not acceptable.
He alleged Mr Bridges had carried out unlawful activity relating to election donations, including activity which Mr Bridges denied yesterday.
"Certainly I reject any allegation of the sort in terms of unlawful activity, it's simply not true," Mr Bridges told media yesterday.
Mr Ross claimed that Mr Bridges asked him to collect a $100,000 donation from a wealthy businessman and was at pains to point out the donation should not be made public. He said the donation was split into smaller amounts below the $15,000 threshold.