Victoria’s anti-corruption body will investigate allegations of “serious corrupt conduct” by state MPs over the misuse of taxpayer money and branch stacking. Dubbed “Operation Watts,” both the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) and the Victorian Ombudsman will look “into a range of matters”—including the misuse of public money used for “party‐political work or other improper purposes.” This follows a year-long investigation into former Labor MP Adem Somyurek, who was sacked by Labor Premier Daniel Andrews in June 2020 after a 60 Minutes and The Age report accused Somyurek of corruption, taxpayer-funded rorting, and branch stacking. Branch stacking occurs where factions within a political party enrol persons for the principal purpose of influencing the election outcome of local branches. It also occurs when political party members enrol people who are not genuine members. Utilising what is called “warehousing,” branch stacking is often hidden away by utilising fake addresses for those signing …