Jake Bezzant
{{Short description|Former political candidate for the New Zealand National Party.}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Jake Bezzant
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|31|2019|12|10}}
| birth_place = Cambridge, New Zealand
| profession = Electric Vehicle Charging / Clean Energy
| alma_mater = University of Waikato
}}
Jacob Max Bezzant (born 1987 or 1988) is co-founder and co-CEO of [https://www.iucharging.com/ Invisible Urban Charging], a “charging as a service” solutions provider for commercial real estate. He was a former political candidate for the New Zealand National Party and a former CEO of Parking Sense.
Early life and career
Bezzant was born in Cambridge in {{birth based on age as of date|31|2019|12|10|noage=y}}.{{Cite press release |title=Jake Bezzant National's new candidate in Upper Harbour |date=10 December 2019 |publisher=New Zealand National Party |url=https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1912/S00124/jake-bezzant-nationals-new-candidate-in-upper-harbour.htm |agency=Scoop |accessdate=21 June 2020}} He attended Cambridge High School and the University of Waikato.{{cite web|last=Dawson|first=Kyra|date=13 July 2018|title=World domination with each car park|url=https://toolkit.waikato.com/blog/world-domination-with-each-car-park|website=toolkit.waikato.com|publisher=Waikato University}}
Bezzant played cricket for the [https://hamiltonoldboyscc.com/ Hamilton Old Boys Cricket Club], Hamilton, Iikely, MCC, and Yorkshire Gentleman.{{cite web |title=Jake Bezzant |url=https://www.crichq.com/players/694370/matches/results |accessdate=15 September 2020 |website=cricHQ}} He was involved with the Waikato Valley and Hamilton Cricket's Kiwi Cricket Coaching in Schools programme, Hamilton Cricket coaching in Schools and was president of the Hamilton Old Boys Cricket Club, and was involved in England and Wales Cricket Board Coaching.
=Parking Sense=
Bezzant stated that he was co-founder of the company Parking Sense and told a magazine that the company “grew from the lounge of my university flat”, but company records for its incorporation do not list him as a founding director or shareholder, and Paul Collins, another person associated with the company, said that Bezzant joined the company six months after it was founded and was not involved while he was at university.{{cite news |last1=Cooke |first1=Henry |title=Election 2020: National sticking by Upper Harbour candidate Jake Bezzant following 'thorough' investigation of allegation about his business record |url= https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300106745/election-2020-national-sticking-by-upper-harbour-candidate-jake-bezzant--following-thorough-investigation-of-allegation-about-his-business-record |accessdate=14 September 2020 |publisher=Stuff |language=en-NZ}} A BusinessDesk article said that Bezzant had to leave his job as CEO at Parking Sense "after disagreements over multi-million dollar contracts and 'fantasy' projects, including a Texas development now mired in bankruptcy and fraud allegations". Bezzant was not involved in the fraud claims. Parking Sense did confirm Bezzant was removed as CEO due to the disagreements.{{cite news |last1=Young |first1=Victoria |title=National candidate's questionable exit from tech firm |url= https://businessdesk.co.nz/article/election-2020/national-candidates-questionable-exit-from-tech-firm |work=BusinessDesk |accessdate=15 September 2020 |date=14 September 2020}} An article in The Spinoff commenting on the BusinessDesk report said, "There's a lot of he said, he said about whether or not Bezzant has been entirely accurate.{{cite news |first1=Madeleine |last1=Chapman |author-link1=Madeleine Chapman |title=The week in memes: A cooked spinach tax policy from Labour |url= https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/15-09-2020/the-week-in-memes-a-cooked-spinach-tax-policy-from-labour/ |accessdate=15 September 2020 |work=The Spinoff |date=15 September 2020}} National Party president Peter Goodfellow said the party "accepts Jake's position about his time at Parking Sense."{{Cite news |date=12 August 2016|title=Cambridge Man Jake Bezzant Appointed CEO Of Global Parking Guidance Company|url= https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/cambridge-man-jake-bezzant-appointed-ceo-global-parking-guidance-company-192809 |access-date=28 July 2021|website=NBR|language=en}}{{Cite web|url=https://toolkit.waikato.com/blog/world-domination-with-each-car-park|title = The Waikato Story}}
=Invisible Urban Charging=
In 2019, Bezzant co-founded [https://www.iucharging.com/ Invisible Urban Charging] (IUC), an electric vehicle “charging as a service” solutions provider for commercial real estate locations, with Nigel Broomhall. As of 2020, Bezzant was a 42% shareholder of IUC,{{Cite web|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/charging-ahead-kiwi-startup-invisible-urban-takes-35m-in-us-orders-for-its-ev-charging-as-a-service/GJDPAMQDPTW5QBE3JI55CVPHV4/|title=Charging ahead: Kiwi startup Invisible Urban takes $35m in US orders for its EV charging-as-a-service|website=NZ Herald}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/nz-startup-invisible-urban-doubles-us-contracts-to-82m-but-knocked-back-by-green-fund-here/CORNBKQ74ZN3NZTNQDYFH74QGM/|title=NZ startup Invisible Urban doubles US contracts to $82m, but knocked back by Green Fund here|website=NZ Herald}}{{Cite web|url=https://businessdesk.co.nz/article/technology/investor-in-jake-bezzant-company-deeply-concerned-about-allegations|title=Investor in Jake Bezzant company 'deeply concerned' about allegations|first=Victoria|last=Young|website=businessdesk.co.nz}} which raised money in 2021 using PledgeMe.{{Cite web|last=Dobson|first=Geoff|date=8 March 2021|title=Invisible Urban Charging EV equity campaign gets $762,051 so far|url=https://evsandbeyond.co.nz/invisible-urban-charging-ev-equity-campaign-gets-762051-so-far/|website=evsandbeyond.co.nz}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.pledgeme.co.nz/investments/446-invisible-urban-charging|title=Invisible Urban Charging | PledgeMe|first=Nigel|last=Broomhall|website=www.pledgeme.co.nz}}
In 2024, IUC formed a strategic agreement with CBRE Group, Inc. to [https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240409804296/en/Invisible-Urban-Charging-Partners-With-CBRE-to-Target-Adding-1-Million-EV-Chargers-Across-the-US deploy one million EV chargers] in the next five years, with IUC as its preferred partner for large asset-class properties, including public lots, shopping centers, large offices, and hospitality sites. That same year, IUC entered into a partnership with Icon Parking{{Cite web |last=Report |first=The EV |date=2024-09-05 |title=NYC Expands EV Charging with IUC Partnership |url=https://theevreport.com/nyc-expands-ev-charging-with-iuc-partnership |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=The EV Report |language=en-US}} to deploy 5,000 chargers at Icon lots throughout New York City.
Political career
In November 2019, Bezzant sought to be the National Party candidate in the {{NZ electorate link|Botany}} electorate after incumbent National MP Jami-Lee Ross became an independent MP, but National instead gave the candidacy to former Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon.{{cite news |last=Block |first=George |url= https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/117151149/national-chooses-christopher-luxon-as-botany-mp |title=National chooses former Air NZ boss Christopher Luxon as Botany MP candidate |work=Stuff |date=4 November 2019 |accessdate=21 June 2020 }}
A month later, Bezzant was selected as the National Party candidate for the Upper Harbour electorate, following Paula Bennett's decision to become a list MP. At the 2020 general election, like many National MPs and candidates, Bezzant lost his electorate. While Bennett had a 9,000-vote majority, Bezzant lost to Labour's Vanushi Walters by 2,392 votes (Bezzant received 38% of the electorate vote compared to Walters' 44%).{{cite web |title=Upper Harbour – Official Result |url= https://electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2020/electorate-details-55.html |publisher=Electoral Commission |date=6 November 2020 |access-date=3 June 2021}}
Misconduct allegations
On 31 May 2021, Bezzant's former partner began a podcast called Whips, Chains and Brains and in its first episode alleged that Bezzant had used intimate photos of her on the internet to impersonate her and to engage in online sex with other men.{{Cite news|last=Lynch|first=Jenna|date=2 June 2021|title=National Party candidate Jake Bezzant resigns as ex-girlfriend alleges inappropriate behaviour|language=en|work=Newshub |url=https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/06/national-party-candidate-jake-bezzant-resigns-as-ex-girlfriend-alleges-inappropriate-behaviour.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602075340/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/06/national-party-candidate-jake-bezzant-resigns-as-ex-girlfriend-alleges-inappropriate-behaviour.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 June 2021|access-date=10 June 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Cheng |first1=Derek |title=National candidate Jake Bezzant cuts ties with party following explosive claims |url= https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/national-candidate-jake-bezzant-cuts-ties-with-party-following-explosive-claims/D2GCWGXAT47CJH77RSPGNB7U44/ |access-date=3 June 2021 |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=2 June 2021}} While the police investigated the matter, they determined a crime had not been committed.{{Cite news|last=Lynch|first=Jenna|date=2 June 2021|title=Jake Bezzant scandal: Jacinda Ardern pledges to look at online harm laws as ex-girlfriend describes 'humiliation'|language=en|work=Newshub |url=https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/06/jake-bezzant-scandal-jacinda-ardern-pledges-to-look-at-online-harm-laws-as-ex-girlfriend-describes-humiliation.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603021411/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/06/jake-bezzant-scandal-jacinda-ardern-pledges-to-look-at-online-harm-laws-as-ex-girlfriend-describes-humiliation.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 June 2021|access-date=3 June 2021}} Bezzant's former partner alleged that he had taunted her over the police's decision. Bezzant told one news outlet that the allegations were untrue, and said in a statement that "Personal relationship break ups sometimes get messy. Two sides to every story. There is more than just her and I involved so I am going to respect that and so I am not going to discuss it."{{cite news |last1=Cooke |first1=Henry |title=Former National candidate Jake Bezzant leaves party as serious allegations emerge |url= https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300322828/former-national-candidate-jake-bezzant-leaves-party-as-serious-allegations-emerge |access-date=3 June 2021 |work=Stuff |date=2 June 2021}} On 3 June 2021, another former partner alleged that Bezzant had also created a Snapchat account using her name, and was using this account to trick men into sending nude images.{{cite news |last1=Connor |first1=Fiona |title=Another woman alleges ex-National candidate Jake Bezzant impersonated her online to get illicit images |url=https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/06/another-woman-alleges-ex-national-candidate-jake-bezzant-impersonated-her-online-to-get-illicit-images.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210604032127/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/06/another-woman-alleges-ex-national-candidate-jake-bezzant-impersonated-her-online-to-get-illicit-images.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 June 2021 |access-date=4 June 2021 |publisher=Newshub |date=3 June 2021}}
Bezzant resigned from the National Party; this was announced on 2 June 2021. The National Party stated that day that “we looked into the matter, and Mr Bezzant is no longer a member of the National Party.” Judith Collins, the party's leader, said that she became aware of the allegations in the evening of 1 June. She labelled Bezzant a "fantasist" and "possible sociopath" and suggested that the National Party needs to overhaul their candidate selection process.{{Cite web|last=Coughlan|first=Thomas|date=4 June 2021|title=Judith Collins takes aim at disgraced ex-National candidate Jake Bezzant|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300325515/judith-collins-takes-aim-at-disgraced-exnational-candidate-jake-bezzant|access-date=4 June 2021|website=Stuff|language=en}}
The allegations led to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern saying that her government will see if the law needs to be changed to cover similar incidents.
References
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Category:People from Cambridge, New Zealand
Category:People educated at Cambridge High School, New Zealand
Category:University of Waikato alumni
Category:New Zealand National Party politicians
Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 2020 New Zealand general election