Mr Maguire also said he withheld details from his then-secret partner, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, as otherwise "it wouldn't reflect well on her".

Mr Maguire told the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) on Friday that he was too shocked by raid on his Wagga home to contact staff or his son James with orders to shred documents.

"I was sitting down having toast, Vegemite and coffee. There was a knock at the door," Mr Maguire said, as ICAC had arrived with an armed police officer.

"I was in shock ... I was taken aback by the approach that was taken," Mr Maguire said.

"I sat outside and had a cigarette ... I haven't smoked for 30 years ... it wasn't my priority to contact staff."

Mr Maguire did admit that he destroyed documents and phones that might implicate him, and told his staff to "wipe everything" from office computers but claimed he "accidentally" dropped a USB stick at his farm gate, where it was run over.

Mr Maguire also said he made up a story he told a visa scam associate about his phones and iPad ending up in an "unfortunate incident in the paddock".

"I don't think the tractor ran over it. I was just being stupid. I don't know why I said it," Mr Maguire said, before agreeing it "could be" he wanted them to destroy their own phone.

Despite telling ICAC that he did not want to "burden" Ms Berejiklian with the details of his business schemes, Mr Maguire was heard in calls discussing his plan to gain $1.5 million in fees from helping racing heir Louise Raedler-Waterhouse sell her western Sydney land.

In the call, Mr Maguire said "our friend Louise" was having "big problems" with her land and she wanted a nearby road moved.