News of the raids on union offices was leaked to the media from the office of Employment Minister Michaelia Cash before they happened, prompting camera crews to be camped outside offices in Sydney and Melbourne as police arrived.
Ms Cash's media adviser resigned in the wake of the affair.

AWU National Secretary Daniel Walton told 9News in a statement, "it is troubling but not surprising that the Australian Federal Police have decided to refer their investigation to the Commonwealth prosecutor".