Nick Kouvalis
Facebook, approx 7:00pm

"This afternoon, with great regret, I communicated to Kellie Leitch my decision to resign as her campaign manager. I did so because it has become clear that I have become a distraction to the campaign. When a member of a campaign team becomes the focus of media coverage, the time comes to resign.

"The campaign should be solely about the candidate and their plans, not their staff’s beliefs, nor their staff’s conduct. It has also become clear to me that the pressures that come with a stressful campaign leadership role are not conducive to my personal wellbeing.

"I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to Kellie and the rest of the team. It has been a privilege to be part of this campaign, and I thank everyone for their support, confidence and friendship."