Corrupt former Labor minister Eddie Obeid has become the latest weapon in the increasingly bitter ALP preselection battle for the state seat of Auburn, with the emergence of a glowing letter of endorsement he wrote for incumbent MP Barbara Perry.
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Mr Obeid penned his letter of support for Ms Perry when she was campaigning in the 2001 byelection which saw her elected to the NSW Parliament.
In the letter, Mr Obeid noted Ms Perry is the daughter of Lebanese migrants to Australia who speaks fluent Arabic and whose maiden name is Abood.
"Barbara is one of us," Mr Obeid wrote. "She understands migrants and the issues which confront them, especially problems facing our youth at school and work. I am very proud to support Barbara Perry."
Mr Obeid has since been expelled from the Labor Party after having several official corruption findings against him and may face criminal charges.
The potentially embarrassing endorsement has emerged just days after Ms Perry charged her opponent in the preselection, former Auburn mayor Hicham Zraika, with branch stacking offences under Labor party rules.
Ms Perry is demanding the party investigate allegations that Cr Zraika paid for memberships and has been recruiting members who do not live at their claimed addresses to influence the ballot.
If the allegations are found to be true, Ms Perry wants him suspended or expelled from the party. Cr Zraika denies the allegations.
Ms Perry said the endorsement letter was a campaign initiative of ALP head office which it paid for and distributed.
She said an endorsement letter from then Premier Bob Carr was also circulated to the community before the byelection.
"Attempts to try and link me personally to a former minister found by the ICAC to have acted corruptly is nothing more than a sideshow distraction from the current spotlight on the serious local branch membership irregularities that I have been raising with head office for more than three-and-a-half years," she said.
Cr Zraika has received endorsements from federal shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen and Werriwa MP Laurie Ferguson.
Mr Bowen's October 20 letter stated he had "no hesitation in attesting that Cr Zraika is a fit and proper person to represent our party in the state election" and found him to be "honest, trustworthy and appropriate at all times".
Mr Ferguson, a senior figure in the rival left faction, said he was confident Cr Zraika "would be a fitting representative, attuned to the area's constituents".
Ms Perry said she had seven endorsement letters from community members but did not approach MPs.
On Friday, Ms Perry's charge was referred to the party's internal tribunal for investigation. The preselection is due on December 6.
