Former CFMEU heavyweight John Setka has revealed he has received death threats as he appeared in court over allegations he sent abusive emails to a union administrator. The 61-year-old former long-serving secretary of the union's Victorian and Tasmanian division appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Wednesday to answer allegations that he sent messages harassing CFMEU administration staff last year.
Police allege Setka sent threatening, offensive, and abusive emails in October last year, followed by a harassing message on Christmas Day. It is understood he intends to fight the charges.
Court proceedings
In court, Setka's lawyers requested an adjournment, noting they had asked Victoria Police to provide several documents as disclosure. Police prosecutor Alex Turner responded that there were six items being sought, with police likely to raise some objections. These included documents held by the CFMEU and not Victoria Police, as well as broad requests that would be too burdensome to answer, Turner said.
A subpoena, the court was told, would be sought to compel the production of the documents, with the issue set down for a two-hour hearing in September. Addressing a request from news organisations to access court documents related to the case, Setka's lawyer asked for Setka's address to be redacted. He said the union figure was subject to threats to kill which Victoria Police did investigate. And that is still ongoing from our understanding, the lawyer said.
Setka's response
Asked outside court how he felt about these threats, Setka responded: Really happy. The former union boss was arrested in November 2025. Setka stood down from the CFMEU in July 2024, blaming ongoing false allegations for the decision. He will return to court on September 3.
