Queensland federal MP George Christensen will not face electoral bribery charges following an Australian Federal Police probe into one of his Facebook posts during the recent election campaign.
Mr Christensen, who was re-elected last month as the member for the Mackay-based seat of Dawson, had pledged to donate $12,000 to a local turtle rescue group in the event of his re-election.
The Liberal National Party MP withdrew the offer following a complaint by left-leaning activist group GetUp, which alleged electoral bribery on Mr Christensen's part, to the Australian Electoral Commission.
The AEC subsequently referred that complaint to the AFP and an AFP spokesman said on Monday Mr Christensen had no case to answer.
"The AFP has undertaken a thorough evaluation of the matter which did not identify evidence to support a Commonwealth offence," an AFP spokesman said.
"As such, the AFP will be taking no further action in relation to this matter."
Mr Christensen's office last month expressed its concern about how long the evaluation had taken and said such complaints should be expedited in the context of an election campaign.
Mr Christensen said he welcomed the conclusion of the AFP's assessment of the allegations.
"I thank the Australian Federal Police for their assessment of this matter," he said.
"I have always maintained the allegations by GetUp were bogus and politically motivated."
Comment has been sought from GetUp.
Mr Christensen had promised the $12,000 in a since-deleted Facebook post on May 31.
"Libby Edge of EcoBarge Clean Seas and the Whitsunday Turtle Rescue Centre does such a great job cleaning up the marine environment in the Whitsundays and nursing injured turtles back to health," he said in the post.
"That's why last night I was happy to announce a $12,000 personal contribution in 2016/17 to Libby's operations if I'm re-elected as the Member for Dawson."
As for whether he would follow through with that commitment now he had been cleared, Mr Christensen told a commenter on his Facebook page that was "a private matter".
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