A former chief of staff to Gladys Berejiklian knew about her relationship with Daryl Maguire years before it was revealed to the state's corruption watchdog, but did not report it as she believed it was "historical".
The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption is investigating whether the former premier breached public trust when she supported projects championed by the former Wagga Wagga MP.
Of the three senior staffers giving evidence on Tuesday, Sarah Cruikshank was the only one who knew the pair had been in a relationship before October last year.
Ms Cruikshank told the inquiry she'd received a phone call from Ms Berejiklian the day Mr Maguire became embroiled in corruption allegations in July 2018, but said she had the impression it was a "historical relationship".
The ICAC has since established the relationship spanned several years and Ms Berejiklian only severed contact with Mr Maguire a month before the relationship was revealed.
"My recollection was she was telling me from the point of view that she was concerned as people might have seen her out with Mr Maguire," Ms Cruikshank said.
"She said it was before she became premier and she said that a couple of times to me."
As she thought the relationship had ended some time ago, Ms Cruikshank said she and Ms Berejiklian did not discuss whether it needed to be disclosed given the controversy surrounding Mr Maguire.
"I had no reason to suggest that she needed to do declarations."
Two other staffers - former strategy director Brad Burden and former chief of staff Neil Harley - earlier on Tuesday gave evidence that advice would have been sought about how Ms Berejiklian could manage a conflict of interest if they had know about her relationship with Mr Maguire.
But both men were adamant she always behaved in a "principled fashion" and was a "stickler" for the rules.
She never treated Mr Maguire or his electorate any differently, they agreed under cross examination from Ms Berejiklian's lawyer.
"Categorically no," Mr Harley said.
"I cannot recall a single occasion when Ms Berejiklian raised with me either Mr Maguire or the Wagga Wagga electorate. Not a single occasion."
"I have never, ever, in my time in politics, known a person more fiercely committed to public service, and serving the people of the state than Ms Berejiklian."
That's despite Mr Harley - who worked for the premier from 2017 and was her chief of staff from February 2020 until her resignation - admitting he had not supported one of the grants at the focus of the investigation, $20.5 million in funding for the Riverina Conservatorium of Music.
It was "a longstanding wishlist item" for Mr Maguire, but the promise was made during the 2018 Wagga Wagga by-election after his resignation.
In an email sent to colleagues at the time, Mr Harley wrote "I personally don't want to push this project, but the premier did".
"NSW was deep in drought at this stage, and I felt that providing what was a substantial amount of money to the Conservatory of Music would not be well regarded by the community," he explained.
He said he couldn't remember how he knew the premier wanted the funding, only that they'd at some point had "the briefest of conversations" about it.
However, Mr Harley said the project - ultimately ruled out after recent business case assessments - wasn't without merit.
"My concern at the time was not about the nature of the project, it was about the nature of the announcement in the context," he said.
"It's important to note that after the by-election was lost and the new member for Wagga Wagga was elected, he himself made representations and has in fact met with me in my role as chief of staff, advocating for it."
Former deputy premier John Barilaro - who dealt with another grant being probed by ICAC - told the watchdog on Monday that he "would have done everything differently" if he'd known about the relationship.
Ms Berejiklian resigned as premier on October 1 after ICAC announced it would hold two weeks of public hearings into her conduct. She denies any wrongdoing.
