One Nation officials caught in secret recordings seeking millions in donations from the American Rifle Association (NRA) have hit back at the documentary, calling the undercover journalist behind the expose "a Middle Eastern spy" who infiltrated Australia to stop immigration debate.
The footage, which was filmed as part of a three-year investigation into America's gun lobby, featured Pauline Hanson's chief of staff James Ashby and the party's Queensland leader Steve Dickson.
"I believe this is an overseas attack on a political party running in an election that's only a matter of weeks away, to stop the debate on immigration to this country," Mr Dickson said on Tuesday afternoon.
One Nation party officials Steve Dickson (left) and James Ashby field questions during a press conference in Brisbane. Source: AAP
"This was a deliberate set-up by the Qatari government under Al Jazeera."
The explosive documentary was aired on Monday night and showed the One Nation officials in discussions with the NRA in Washington.
"We get the balance of power, very simply that means that we have the testicles of the Government in our hand at every given stage," Mr Dickson was heard saying in the meeting with the NRA.
"And guns, in the scheme of things, are still going to be the be-all and end-all."
The undercover journalist behind the investigation, Rodger Muller, is Australian.
"I think Al Jazeera have infiltrated and put a spy into Australian politics, infiltrated over three years, not three days, three weeks, three months, three years," Mr Dickson added.
"This is the stuff you see in James Bond magazines. I would never expect you would see this for real in the real world."
Both Mr Dickson and Mr Ashby claim they did not travel to the US with the aim of soliciting political donations, but to learn campaigning techniques.
"We felt that by visiting the NRA headquarters and learning from their experience during the Trump campaign, that would give us a better understanding of how we could better utilise the funds in which we have and also the skills in which we have," Mr Ashby said.
During the lengthy press conference, Mr Dickson apologised for some of the things he said, which were caught on film by Rodger Muller, while they were "having a few drinks at the bar at our local hotel".
"I don't talk like that publicly. We were three men talking together and having scotches for about three or four hours," he said.
"I've drunk as a young man, I've been to strip clubs, probably done a lot of things most young men have done in this country. I understand that... I won't hold that against any human being."
Pauline Hanson's chief of staff James Ashby (right) on his way to meet with the NRA in Washington. Source: Al Jazeera
Of the video showing the three men boasting about what could be done with funds of $20 million, Mr Ashby said they were "on the sauce".
"We'd had a few drinks and that's where those discussions took place - not with any potential donors, no-one but Rodger Muller, Steve Dickson and myself."
One Nation has asked Australia's intelligence agency ASIO and the Australian Federal Police to investigate the matter, citing concerns about foreign interference.
