Alexander Csergo, 59, has been accused of reckless foreign interference after providing reports to two people he believed were working for China's Ministry of State Security.
From when he was allegedly approached via Linkedin in November 2021 until his arrest in March 2023, the 59-year-old was based in Shanghai running his IT consulting business Conversys.
His reports, given to two individuals only known as Ken and Evelyn, contained fabricated statements from a number of individuals, including Dr Rudd, a jury heard on Thursday.
In a police statement, the former prime minister and US ambassador denied knowing Csergo or Conversys.
"I do not personally know this person or business," he wrote in the statement seen by AAP, which was read out to jurors on Friday.
Csergo allegedly emailed Dr Rudd asking about defence and security advice in late October 2022.
At the time, the former politician was president of the non-profit organisation Asia Society and its associated think tank while living in New York.
Csergo sent one message to Dr Rudd's old prime ministerial email address.
"This contact was not received by me personally and I never provided a response," the 68-year-old wrote.
Csergo did not contact Dr Rudd directly at the Asia Society.
On Thursday, jurors were told the IT consultant lied to Ken and Evelyn by claiming open source information in his reports was confidential.
He supplied the reports to his alleged handlers in exchange for cash while they were alone in empty cafes and restaurants, the court was told.
Crown prosecutor Jennifer Single SC said Csergo would have believed the two individuals were working for Chinese intelligence and that he was being groomed as a future asset.
He was arrested in March 2023 when he temporarily returned to Sydney.
Police officers raiding his house found a "shopping list" asking him to seek classified information on a swathe of topics including national security, foreign policy and intelligence.
"Find out the fact and rumors in cambera (sic) or DC," Ken wrote.
"Show top leaders real thinking."
Defence barrister Iain Todd said on Thursday that Csergo merely had a commercial arrangement with Ken and Evelyn, and no top secret information was ever handed over.
The trial continues.
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