The registered owner of a website muddling links to Auckland mayoral candidates appears to be a Young Nat.
Auckland mayoral candidates Leo Molloy (left) and Efeso Collins (right). Photo: RNZ
The domain name mystery emerged this month when anyone loading efesocollins.co.nz or craiglord.co.nz found themselves redirected to the website of rival candidate Leo Molloy.
The Domain Name Commission maintains Aotearoa's website registry and it had listed the contact for Efeso Collins' site as a Leo Molloy.
It now lists a 'Tristram Speedy' of Auckland as the contact - a person who, according to LinkedIn, is secretary and deputy chair of the northern Young Nats.
Since the domain name debacle hit the headlines, Molloy has denied allegations that the site switch was linked to him.
He told RNZ he did not know Speedy, and frankly, he did not care.
"We don't stop for barking dogs", he said.
Molloy said it did not register on his radar and that he enjoyed seeing so much engagement in local body politics.
Collins said the debacle distracted from the bigger issues.
It was completely unnecessary, he said.
Collins said he had taken Molloy's word that he had not meddled at face value, and that he would continue fight for the super city's mayoralty fairly.
"I'm a sportsman, I've been a sportsman all my life, and when you get out on the court or on the field you play hard but you play fair, and I think that's what's lacking," he said.
A similar situation also linked fellow candidate Craig lord's website to Molloy's
The contact for craiglord.co.nz was unchanged.
Lord said if anyone affiliated with the youth wing of the National Party was involve, it was a worry.
The local body election has nothing to do with them, and they should stay in their lane, he said.
He was also looking to keep the race above board.
"That's not a game I'm going to play, I'll stick to my style that I've kept for the last four years and that's play the ball not the man."
The Domain Name Commission manages and registers .co.nz websites.
Its interim Commissioner Isobel Egerton said it was committed to ensuring the .nz domain space was safe and secure.
Speedy told RNZ he would neither confirm or deny he was involved with the domain - and declined to comment further.