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This is the first of a two-case series. On the morning of Monday, 28 May 2007, the new communications manager for the New Zealand Ministry for the Environment (MfE) started work. She was the first permanent employee to the position since June 2006. On the evening of the same day, the chief executive of MfE had a call from a senior political adviser in the office of the minister for the environment. The adviser asked if he could confirm a rumour, circulating in Parliament, that the new communications manager was the partner of the senior press secretary to the leader of the opposition. This case lends itself to discussion around a number of concepts, for example how the relationship between elected representatives and appointed officials operates in practice and within current parameters. This case was published as part of our collection of free cases (visit www.thecasecentre.org/freecase for more information on the collection).