In an email sent to elected members and the council’s CEO Mark Goldstone this morning, Moran said she would “run for the big seat” after an investigation by SA Ombudsman Wayne Lines found she breached the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Act by leaking confidential information.

The finding referred to a comments published by InDaily in July about a confidential council committee discussion on the now-abandoned 2026 Commonwealth Games bid.

Moran told InDaily at the time that the meeting did not warrant confidentiality as there were no costings mentioned, but that the State Government was planning to undertake a “detailed cost benefit study” as part of its initial investigations into hosting the Games.

InDaily also quoted Moran saying State Government representatives “pointed out that other than two cities (that have hosted the Commonwealth Games), on paper the rest didn’t make a profit but there were uplifts for things like public transport and infrastructure”.

In a report detailing his findings – published by the council last night – Lines said he accepted that the comments “do not appear to have disclosed information that was likely to be of particular sensitivity to the State Government or the council”.

“However, it was not for councillor Moran to make such an assessment, having regard to the broad terms of the confidentiality order in question,” he wrote.

“I note that Cr Moran’s remarks to the journalist appear to have been made in full knowledge of the confidentiality order imposed by the Committee.”

According to Lines’ report, Moran responded to the investigation by stating she couldn’t remember making the comments to InDaily “but I may have”.

“I would have thought that they were general remarks and didn’t break the confidentiality of the meeting e.g. costings etc,” she was quoted.

“I apologise if any of my general observations were breaking confidentiality. That was not my intent.”

Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor will publicly reprimand Moran at Tuesday’s council meeting in line with Lines’ recommendation.

In her email this morning, Moran said she was “happy to be reprimanded over this minor matter”.

She told InDaily this morning that the comments she made were “clearly not confidential” and Lines’ finding was “pathetic”.

She also said she would run for Lord Mayor at the 2022 council election if any members of the Team Adelaide majority faction on council, of which she is not a part, also decided to run.

“I don’t want to serve on another term of council with them (Team Adelaide members) but I don’t want to see them as Lord Mayor,” she said.

“I’d be reluctantly forced to do something unless somebody really good came up that had a chance – then I’d support them.

“But, if it was only Team Adelaide running for Lord Mayor and nobody else I just could not bare to stay with this group anymore and I’d hate to see Adelaide ground down.”

Moran, who has served on the Adelaide City Council for 25 years, said she would seek advice from the council’s administration on whether she could make any formal objection to Lines’ finding.

It comes after the area councillor was criticised earlier this week for comments suggesting that fireworks upset “new immigrants because they remind them of the bombing and wars they have been traumatised by”. 

Moran was also the subject of a code of conduct complaint lodged by fellow councillor Arman Abrahimzadeh after she swore and mispronounced his name.

The complaint was later withdrawn.

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