A dumped Liberal candidate has issued a legal letter demanding he be reinstated for the Victorian election, claiming the party's decision to remove him weeks out from the election breached the party's constitution.
Grant Hutchinson was last week removed as the candidate for Croydon for next month's state election, with Opposition Leader Jess Wilson at the time claiming "new information" had come to light about ongoing litigation with his own law firm.
The internal drama will be an unwanted distraction for Ms Wilson just four weeks before early voting opens, following years of turmoil for the party that Liberals hoped had finally settled to focus on the campaign.
Mr Hutchinson was replaced by Toby Wooldridge as the candidate at last Monday night's meeting.
In a legal letter to the party's state executive on Wednesday night, lawyers for Mr Hutchinson demanded he be reinstated by this Friday.
Grant Hutchinson was the Liberals' candidate for Croydon until last week, but the candidacy has since gone to Toby Wooldridge. (Instagram)
It provides "formal legal notice" to preserve all records about his disendorsement.
The letter, issued by RV Lawyers, claimed the party failed to give Mr Hutchinson a right of reply, and rejected the allegation that Mr Hutchinson had failed to disclose legal proceedings with his former law firm.
"That assertion is factually false," the letter states.
"Those proceedings had been disclosed during his vetting and preselection process," the letter states.
It further demanded the party provide any evidence of any new information about his civil proceedings.
"By excluding our client from the meeting, the committee acted upon an incomplete, selective, and misleading representation of the facts, without allowing our client to demonstrate that the matters had been fully disclosed and vetted."
Mr Hutchinson and Liberal headquarters both declined to comment on Wednesday night.
Pressed on the matter on Thursday morning, Ms Wilson said: "That's a matter for the Liberal Party."
Victorian Opposition leader Jess Wilson said new details had come to light about ongoing litigation. (ABC News: Danielle Bonica)
The letter further alleges members of the state executive were not given proper notice to consider the meeting, because they were not given any prior warning they would be voting on Mr Hutchinson's candidacy or endorsing Mr Wooldridge.
"Our client contends that the meeting was not validly convened to determine those matters and that both disputed resolutions are consequently invalid."
Solicitor Rod Veith, acting for Mr Hutchinson, further challenges the endorsement of Mr Wooldridge for failing to follow preselection processes.
He called for the party to hand over all written notices of the meeting, agendas and minutes of the meeting, a list of those who attended, and any submissions.
Mr Hutchinson is staunchly from the party's religious right and his endorsement last year astounded some Liberal members.
Last week, he wrote directly to the executive objecting to his removal.
"My concerns are not simply about the cancellation of my endorsement,'' he wrote.
"They are about the rights of members, the integrity of our preselection processes and whether the Victorian Liberal Party remains a political home for those who hold traditional Liberal and conservative values."
David Hodgett implored the government to stay committed to its plan and to not revert to remote learning. (ABC News)
Mr Hutchinson added that: "A party that abandons its principles, disregards the decisions of its grassroots members and excludes those who hold differing convictions risks losing not only its identity, but the very people who have sustained it."
The senior lawyer previously launched a civil lawsuit against his own law firm, prompting a counterclaim, as reported by The Guardian last year.
Longstanding member for Croydon, David Hodgett, is retiring at the election after 20 years in parliament.
The Liberal Party holds the seat by a margin of just 1.4 per cent but would expect to extend its lead in the electorate at the November 28 election.