Why Did 1 News Downplay Two By Twos Pedophilia?

New Zealand’s mainstream media has sunk to new lows, and 1 News’ gutless coverage of the Two By Twos pedophilia scandal is a glaring exhibit of a failure to report. Their April 2025 claim that all child sexual offending within this creepy sect under police scrutiny is “historical” isn’t just lazy journalism…it’s a brazen lie to downplay widespread offending within a pedophilia cult, and shield National Party MP Hamish Campbell from the scrutiny he deserves. This is the media bending over backwards for Tory elites, throwing salt in the wounds of victims while a cult’s crimes are swept under the rug.

1 News’ framing of the Two By Twos investigations as old, dusty history is flat-out wrong! The NZ Herald and Newstalk ZB have now reported on 27 fresh allegations of child sexual abuse sparking “several” active criminal probes, with police working alongside the FBI’s global dragnet. These aren’t faded Polaroids from the ‘80s; they’re recent crimes, with survivors still coming forward. By slapping the “historical” tag on this, 1 News was trying to sanitise a living nightmare, and it reeks of a calculated move to protect Campbell, the Ilam MP who still hasn’t come clean about his involvement in the secretive "religious" sect.

Here's the once-over lightly followup report by 1 News after the fact:

 

Police speaking with former members of sect with no official name

 

...

A secretive sect under investigation by New Zealand Police for abuse says fellowship is voluntary, and members are free to leave if they wish.

…

“The coercion and the control that there is over people. People don't realise it's happening to them until you take a step back,” said the woman.

New Zealand Police have contacted 27 alleged victims of sexual abuse in the church, with 10 individuals filing reports.

A police spokesperson said two offenders have been convicted.

For over a year, Campbell played dumb, muttering about a loose “family connection” to the Two By Twos while dodging questions. Only when the Herald turned up the heat did he admit he’s a card-carrying member, hosting Bible meetings at his Christchurch home and allegedly holding the rank of “elder.” Former members have blown the whistle, telling Newstalk ZB he’s “lied through his teeth” to the Prime Minister about his role. This isn’t a slip-up; it’s a deliberate con to duck accountability for a cult accused of shielding predators. And 1 News? They’re too busy fluffing pillows for National MPs to ask the hard questions.

Why did you report the allegations about child sex abuse within the Two By Twos are all historic, @1NewsNZ? There are 14 current “church” members with allegations against them. Convicted pedophile William Easton was a member up until December 2024. #nzpolhttps://t.co/JpvftqLMzl

— Jackal (@Jackalblog) April 12, 2025

By painting the Two By Twos’ crimes as ancient history, 1 News was trying to deflect scrutiny away from Campbell’s potential complicity. Did his meetings cover up abuse? Was he privy to the allegations? There’s so much abuse within the cult that it’s hard to believe otherwise. These are the questions 1 News should be demanding answers for, not burying the truth under limp, Tory-friendly drivel. Instead, they’re propping up National’s spin, leaving survivors to fend for themselves while a powerful MP slinks away with questions about his involvement unanswered.

This isn’t just about one liar in a suit. It’s about a biased media so spineless it’s practically giving the thumbs up to abusers. 1 News appears to be too busy kissing National’s boots to give a damn about justice. The Two By Twos’ victims deserve truth, not this cowardly right-wing whitewash perpetrated by the government's main propaganda mouthpiece. If 1 News won’t report the truth, it’s up to us to hold power to account. Because without a clear focus on pedophile cults like the Two By Twos, their “elders” will continue to infiltrate the very inner sanctum of our political establishment.

Hamish Campbell Lied About His Links With Two By Twos Cult

National MP Hamish Campbell's pathetic attempt to downplay his deep ties to and involvement in the Two by Twos...a secretive religious sect under FBI and NZ Police investigation for child sexual abuse...isn’t just a misstep; it’s a calculated lie that insults the intelligence of every Kiwi voter.

Campbell’s claim of being merely “connected through family” has been shredded by the evidence and sect survivors who have spoken out against Campbell's claims, exposing him as a duplicitous figure unfit for public office. This isn’t a scandal; it’s a disgrace.

Let’s cut through the nonsense. Campbell, Christchurch’s supposed man of principle, didn’t just fib about his role in the Two by Twos, a group so shadowy it doesn’t even have an official name for itself. He flat-out lied, painting himself as a casual bystander when, in reality, he’s a so-called elder who is deeply entrenched in the day to day workings of the cult. Sources, including former members who escaped the sect’s grip, have called him out.

Yesterday, the NZ Herald reported:

Two by Twos: MP Hamish Campbell ‘deeply embedded’ in religious group under investigation by FBI, police

National MP Hamish Campbell has been accused of downplaying his “connection” to a secretive religious movement under investigation by the FBI and New Zealand police over allegations of sexual abuse, the Herald can reveal.

Multiple sources have claimed that Campbell is an “elder” in the Two by Twos ministry and, over the years, has been responsible for hosting many weekly Bible meetings at his private home in Christchurch.

And despite last week saying, “My connection to the organisation has been through family”, yesterday, he admitted to the Herald, in response to a series of questions, that he is, in fact, a member. “I am a member of a small Christian group who meet in people’s homes on Sundays rather than go to church. I have hosted a small number of meetings at my home,” Campbell said.

If Campbell fed Prime Minister Christopher Luxon the same “family ties” hogwash, as insiders claim, he’s not only deceived the public...he’s lied to the Prime minister, which should be a sackable offense.

The Two by Twos, or The Truth, as its followers creepily call it, is no quaint prayer circle as Campbell wants you to believe. With over 900 alleged perpetrators worldwide, it’s a pedophile ring facing global scrutiny for allegations and documented cases of systemic sexual abuse. The FBI’s on their trail, NZ Police are making arrests, and ex-members describe a nightmare of control, isolation, and trauma for its numerous victims.

Campbell’s attempt to sanitize his “church”, calling it a “non-denominational Christian group just trying to live the best way possible,” isn’t just delusional...it’s a sickening attempt to whitewash an organised criminal group drowning in a sea of red flags. He’s not clueless; he’s complicit in deflecting from what's really going on.

#BHN Are the online trolls going to ask the same questions of Hamish Campbell as they did of Benjamin Doyle? #nzpol pic.twitter.com/SWcFVvAHEy

— Pat Brittenden (@patbrittenden) April 11, 2025

Campbell’s an elected official, entrusted to serve with integrity. By lying through his teeth to the public, and potentially the PM, he’s torched that trust and exposed his utter contempt for accountability. If he’ll brazenly mislead reporters and the people about his role in a sect under investigation for pedophilia, what else is he hiding? His silence now, after being caught out, reeks of complicity.

Luxon’s response? A gutless dodge, brushing off Campbell’s lies as no big deal. National’s sanctimonious bleating about “transparency” is a joke when they let their own MPs lie with impunity. Campbell must come clean...admit his full role, explain why he lied, and address his stance on the allegations of widespread child abuse within his secretive sect. Anything less is a slap in the face to law-abiding voters and the numerous victims of the secretive religious cult known as the Two By Twos.