New Zealand lawmaker resigns duties after spy leak

New Zealand lawmaker resigns from duties after he's suspected of leaking spy agency report

New Zealand's Revenue Minister Peter Dunne speaks to the media as he is resigning his ministerial duties on Friday, June 7, 2013 in Wellington, New Zealand. Dunne, suspected of leaking a report on the country's spy agency, said he didn't leak that to a journalist but had made errors of judgment nevertheless. (AP Photo/Nick Perry)

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) -- A New Zealand politician suspected of leaking a report on the country's spy agency stepped down Friday from his ministerial duties.

Peter Dunne said he didn't leak the report to a journalist but had made errors of judgment nevertheless. He resigned as revenue minister but said he'd continue as a member of Parliament.

His resignation came after an inquiry into the leak found that Dunne had exchanged 86 emails with Fairfax Media reporter Andrea Vance in the two weeks before Vance published a scoop on the report. Dunne refused to turn over all the emails to the inquiry.

The report on the Government Communications Security Bureau concluded the agency unlawfully spied on up to 88 residents.

Prior to the leak, Prime Minister John Key had promised to publicly release the report. He did release it after Fairfax published its story.

Fairfax Media Executive Editor Paul Thompson said Friday the company never comments on its confidential sources.