Sam Dastyari denies he’s the ex-politician handpicked by ASIO boss – as Malcolm Turnbull’s son reveals how he was targeted by foreign spies

A former Labor senator whose political career was ended by a firestorm over his links to a Chinese businessman has categorically denied he is the mysterious figure who Australia’s spy boss claims has ‘sold out their country’.

Ex-NSW senator Sam Dastyari sensationally left politics in 2017 amid intense scrutiny over his links to Chinese property developer and political donor Huang Xiangmo.

Mr Dastyari – who has always insisted he is a patriotic Australian – was branded a “Beijing schmuck” by the tabloids after it emerged he accepted money from Chinese donors.

He had Mr. Huang pay a $5,000 legal bill for him while he was an elected senator, and forwarded a $1,670 travel bill to a company linked to the Chinese government.

Mr Dastyari admitted meeting Mr Huang but denied any wrongdoing at the meeting where he allegedly told Mr Huang his phones were being tapped.

In the years since Mr Dastyari resigned from parliament, Mr Huang has been banned from entering Australia and had both his Australian passport and permanent residency revoked, on the recommendation of ASIO.

On Wednesday evening, ASIO chief Mike Burgess (above) made a historic speech in which he said a now former unnamed politician had allegedly ‘sold out their country’ to an overseas power.

On Wednesday evening, ASIO chief Mike Burgess made a historic speech in which he said a now former unnamed politician had allegedly ‘sold out his country’ to an overseas power.

“This politician betrayed his country, his party and former colleagues to advance the interests of the foreign regime,” Burgess said.

He declined to name the person, only giving indications that the person involved was a former politician, that the incident took place several years ago, and he doubted the unnamed politician would do it again.

Mr Dastyari refuted the speculations that have erupted on social media in recent hours. He told Daily Mail Australia the incident had “zero to do with me” and there was no misconduct.

“I’m not going to comment on anything,” he added.

It comes as Alex Turnbull, the son of former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, revealed to news.com.au he was targeted by suspected Chinese agents over an infrastructure project – and reported it to spy agencies.

His father was prime minister at the time. “It was just so brutal,” he told the news website. He did not make it clear in the interview exactly which infrastructure project he was referring to.

Malcolm Turnbull’s son Alex (centre) made comments to news.com.au on Thursday

Only in 2018 were new laws introduced to combat foreign interference.

What else is known about the politician is that “at one point the former politician even suggested bringing a relative of a prime minister into the spies’ orbit,” Burgess said.

‘Fortunately that plot did not go ahead, but other plans did. Personally, I don’t think they will be stupid enough to repeat what they have done in the past so that the problem has been neutralized and damage has been done in some areas.’

The ASIO chief said the politician involved had severed ties with the foreign service and does not pose a threat to national security, adding that foreign spies posed as advisers, headhunters, local government officials, academics and think tank researchers, and claimed to be from to be from fictional companies such as Data 31.’

Mr Burgess’s comments have sparked an uproar in Canberra and beyond, with politicians past and present claiming their reputations have been clouded by the speculation.

His defiant denial comes amid a social media firestorm trying to find links between Burgess’ comments and former politicians.

Opposition Senate Leader Simon Birmingham called on Home Secretary Claire O’Neil to “come forward and provide that information – as much as she possibly can.”

“It is up to the Home Secretary to use the protection and privileges of Parliament, perhaps to be able to do that,” he said.

Mr Birmingham said providing such clarity would ‘prevent that kind of vilification against all serving or all former politicians’.

‘There is clearly a great deal of public interest in this issue. This public interest deserves to be discussed as transparently as possible.

He clarified that he does not know who the person involved in the incident is, but added: “Many questions will be asked, especially given some of the highly publicized stories in the past about certain former MPs, their departure of this Parliament and the like.’

Opposition leader Peter Dutton is equally keen for the person involved to be named.

“It’s basically quite rough [be] then smeared former politicians [Burgess is] talking about one person, and the problem is that if he doesn’t name it, there’s a cloud hanging over everyone else,” Mr Dutton said.

“I think it’s unfair to a lot of former MPs who are patriotic, as 99.9 percent on both sides are, and if there’s anyone they’ve identified who isn’t, then quite frankly that person should be ostracized and shamed .’