A man alleged to have distributed unauthorised election material during the federal campaign is being taken to court by the Australian Electoral Commission.
Jarrod Davis is alleged to have spent $17,500 printing and distributing pamphlets in the Sydney electorate of Wentworth, held by independent MP Allegra Spender.
The material disparaged Ms Spender, including by accusing the independent of being weak on anti-Semitism, and lacked an authorisation message, which is required under electoral law.
About 47,000 pamphlets were circulated throughout the electorate, according to the electoral commission.
Ms Spender said it was vital for democracy that anonymous misinformation that attempted to influence voters was prevented.
Electoral Commissioner Jeff Pope said the court action showed the commission was committed to upholding integrity.
"Australia's democracy is rightly regarded as world leading, and central to that integrity is the ability for any voter to know the source of electoral advertising through authorisation messages," Mr Pope said in a statement.
"The AEC takes cases involving the complete absence of authorisation information and its widespread dissemination particularly seriously."
Failure to properly authorise election material can carry a fine of up to $39,600 for each contravention, at a court's discretion.
Ms Spender won Wentworth off the Liberals in 2022 and increased her margin at May's federal election to more than eight per cent.
