The Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) has declared it is rebuilding after two of its former senior officials were sentenced to prison for corruptly accepting thousands of dollars in bribes.
Father and Son Sentenced for Corrupt Payments
On Friday, Darren Greenfield, 60, the former NSW branch secretary, and his son Michael Greenfield, 40, the former assistant state secretary, were escorted to prison. The court heard they accepted wads of cash, sometimes literally under the table, from a building company in exchange for preferential union treatment and access to contracts.
During sentencing at Sydney's Central District Court, Judge Leonie Flannery condemned the actions of both men, labelling their breach of trust as 'egregious'. She stated, 'The offenders used the influence of the union for their own personal benefit rather than for the benefit of its members.'
Darren Greenfield accepted bribes on four separate occasions between November 2018 and June 2020, totalling $20,000. His son, a former rugby league player, accepted two bribes amounting to $10,000 over a two-and-a-half month period in 2019.
A Betrayal of Trust and Its Consequences
CFMEU NSW executive director Michael Crosby welcomed the judge's decision, stating that the Greenfields had betrayed union members in the most fundamental way possible. 'Any suggestion this was a victimless crime that didn't hurt members is completely false,' he said in a statement. 'It was an egregious breach of trust that shattered the important compact between union members and their leaders.'
Judge Flannery noted that while Darren Greenfield did not actively seek the bribes, he accepted them in a moment of weakness. The court also heard that both father and son were remorseful and had no prospects of reoffending.
However, the judge emphasised that the sentence needed to be strong enough to deter others, stating, 'Such offences undermine public confidence and the integrity of employee organisations and the people who run them.' She added that the modest amounts involved were irrelevant, noting, 'It is the fact of the bribe and not the amount which is important here.'
Rebuilding After the Fallout
The pair sat silently in court as they were handed a combined maximum sentence of four years. Darren Greenfield was sentenced to a maximum of 30 months but will be released after 10. Michael Greenfield received an 18-month maximum sentence and will be released in six. Both had pleaded guilty in April.
In a separate incident, the court heard that Michael Greenfield had also attempted to avoid a penalty for a traffic offence by signing a false statutory declaration, blaming an illegal Taiwanese worker.
The scandal led to the CFMEU being placed into administration in 2024. Darren Greenfield was terminated on the same day, weeks after his son resigned amid media scrutiny. The man who paid the bribes was sentenced in 2022 to two-and-a-half years' imprisonment, to be served in the community.
As the union works to restore its integrity, an inquiry into misconduct in Queensland's construction industry was told that deregistering the CFMEU would be detrimental, potentially leaving a void for more unscrupulous operators.
