PoliticalClaims.au

**The claim appears to be partially substantiated but requires nuance:** **Evidence supporting the claim:** - Internal emails from June 22, 2017 show DHS officials were discussing dark web security issues weeks before the public revelation [2] - Minister Tudge stated publicly that he only learned of it on July 3, when a Guardian journalist contacted him - this contradicts evidence of internal knowledge [2] - The timing gap (June 22 vs July 3) is a factual discrepancy [2] **Factors complicating the "lie" characterization:** - The redacted nature of internal emails means the specific content and scope of June 22 discussions are unknown [2] - DHS claims the June 22 discussions involved "general matters" about dark web activity, not confirmed Medicare sales [2] - The department's FOI response redactions prevent full verification of what officials actually knew [2] - Government statements might technically be accurate if the June 22 discussions involved vulnerability assessments rather than confirmed active sales [2] - An FOI investigation revealed that in early 2018, the government was still investigating the incident, suggesting genuine uncertainty about the scope and timeline [5] **Key Issue:** The evidence demonstrates that government officials had discussions about dark web security matters before July 3, and that this wasn't disclosed publicly.