Editing Pauline Hanson's One Nation (section)

==== Electoral fraud charges ====
In 2001, disendorsed One Nation candidate Terry Sharples accused the party of not having the 500 members needed for registration, and called for the party to be deregistered, which was carried by the Supreme Court. Hanson appealed the verdict but was unsuccessful.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.ccc.qld.gov.au/research-and-publications/publications/misconduct/the-prosecution-of-pauline-hanson-and-david-ettridge-a-report-on-an-inquiry-into-issues-raised-in-a-resolution-of-parliament.pdf |title=The prosecution of Pauline Hanson and David Ettridge: a report on an inquiry into issues raised in a resolution of Parliament |date=January 2004 |publisher=Crime and Misconduct Commission |access-date=8 January 2017 |isbn=1-876986-21-2 }}{{Dead link|date=June 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Hanson appeared before the [[Brisbane Magistrates Court]] to face charges of [[electoral fraud]], that same year. Hanson pleaded not guilty to the charges, claiming that she was being subjected to "a political witch-hunt." While court hearings proceeded, Hanson ran for a seat in the NSW Upper House as an independent, but only received 1.9 per cent of the vote.<ref name=ABCONtimeline/>

Both Ettridge and Hanson were found guilty of fraudulently registering One Nation and obtaining more than $500,000 from the AEC, in 2003. Crown lawyers accused them both of falsely claiming more than 500 people were party members when they were not truly members. Hanson was sentenced to three years in jail, stating outside the court that the verdict was "Rubbish, I'm not guilty... it's a joke".<ref name=ABCONtimeline/>

It was later disclosed that Abbott had been working behind the scenes to take Ettridge and Hanson down, meeting with several disgruntled One Nation members including Sharples. On November 6 of that same year, Hanson was released from prison after successfully appealing her conviction; she was acquitted on all counts.<ref name=ABCONtimeline/>