Northern Territory Labor senator Nova Peris has spoken out in parliament against her treatment following the exposure of her alleged affair with fellow Olympian Ato Boldon.

Senator Peris said the emails between herself and Boldon were given to the media by an “aggrieved person” as a result of a child access dispute.

Emails published by News Corp this week claimed that in 2010 Senator Peris tried to use taxpayers’ money to fund a trip to Australia for Trinidad and Tobago track star Boldon, so the pair could pursue an affair.

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Senator Peris has asked the Australian Federal Police to investigate the leaking of the emails.

Making a statement to the Senate on Thursday, Senator Peris said she “categorically” rejected any wrongdoing, saying the leaks were an attempt to blackmail her.

She said the claims were “baseless” and were connected to a family dispute.

Bill Shorten has backed Senator Nova Peris amid affair scandal. Photo: AAP

“I have done nothing wrong,” she said.

“It pains me to have to talk about my private life. But the publication of my emails is part of a very difficult child access and financial estate dispute.”

Senator Peris, an Olympic hockey gold medallist and former Young Australian of the Year, reportedly approached Athletics Australia and other sources for funds in 2010 to pay for the sprint star’s trip to Australia from Los Angeles.

Explicit emails published by the Northern Territory News show the pair was conducting an affair at the time.

She said the “aggrieved” person in the dispute contacted her by email 10 days before the emails were published to reveal “he had in his possessions a folder of information pertaining to Mr Boldon’s visit to Australia”.

“I did not realise at the time, he was referring to these emails,” she said.

“The release and publication of these emails is an attempt to extract money and embarrass me and my family.”

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Senator Peris has denied any wrongdoing.

“These are matters which are deeply personal to Senator Peris and pre-date her time in parliament,” Mr Shorten told ABC radio.

“I certainly won’t be commenting on the personal nature of these matters.”

Boldon said the reports include “gross fabrications”.

In a statement released on Twitter, he says he will be “pursuing all legal action possible for this malicious misrepresentation of the details surrounding my presence in Australia in 2010”.

Ato Boldon is alleged to have had an affair with Nova Peris. Photo: Getty

He said Senator Peris, who joined parliament last year, was a former training partner and had been a friend for almost 20 years.

“My last trip to Australia almost five years ago was for the purpose of holding several youth clinics, and it was a successful undertaking. The trip was co-organised by one of my now-deceased colleagues at Athletics Australia.”

A spokesman for Senator Peris said an independent audit of the $445,000 given to Athletics Australia for the program in question found no misuse of the funds.

The senator indicated she would not quit parliament over the controversy.

“Despite the hopes of some, this incident will not stop me from serving the people of the NT and advocating on behalf of aboriginal Australians.”

News Corp is standing by its story, despite the senator’s claims that it had been advised about the access dispute.

“There are questions still to be answered,” editorial director Campbell Reid told Sky News.

– with AAP, ABC