Former NRL player and Labor hopeful Terry Campese has withdrawn his candidacy for the seat of Monaro in the upcoming NSW election.
He is the fourth Labor candidate to resign ahead of the election.
His decision comes after a media report revealed he visited a school friend convicted of drug dealing at Macquarie Correctional Centre last year to raise money for his charity — the Terry Campese Foundation.
Mr Campese said he has stepped down over growing media scrutiny in the up-coming election campaign.
"Unfortunately, I have come to realise that, for some, politics is not about representing people but about their own power with a 'win at all costs' mentality," he said in a statement.
"Today I'm announcing that I will step down as Labor's candidate. Not because my heart isn't in it but because I love this community too much to drag it through the media — whether they are truthful or not.
"However, I will continue to serve my community in the same way I have over the last decade, through the work of my foundation and other charities.
"Perhaps in the future things will change and we will see more community members put their hand up to be involved in politics."
The former league player attended the Wellington prison in 2022 after his charity applied to conduct fundraising activity with the centre.
His school friend Adam Hunter is currently serving a 12-year sentence for his involvement in a scheme to import more than 300 kilograms of cocaine into the country.
"I have been friends with Mr Hunter since school and remain so today. If everyone who made a mistake was abandoned, it would be a very sad and lonely world," Mr Campese said.
"Mr Hunter did participate in Crimfit, 2022. The inmates as a collective choose a different charity each year, as part of their journey to rehabilitation."
"It was Mr Hunter's choice to participate in Crimfit 2022, I had no influence on the participants."
Last week a video was also uncovered of Mr Campese attending a sex-themed dress-up party before he was pre-selected as the Labor candidate.
The footage showed the Monaro candidate wearing just a tie, underwear, and a police hat.
Opposition leader Chris Minns at the time said while the footage was "embarrassing for him" and "distasteful for many people" it was a private matter.
The former Canberra Raiders captain is the latest Labor candidate to resign ahead of the election posing more problems for the opposition's campaign.
Canterbury-Bankstown Mayor Khal Asfour withdrew from his upper house candidacy last month after intense media scrutiny detailing his overseas expense claims whilst in council.
While Labor's initial Manly Ryde candidates also quit shortly after being preselected.
