The Federal Court of Australia has approved the request to reopen the Lehrmann v Network Ten defamation trial, accepting a sworn affidavit from a former Seven producer as new evidence to Network Ten’s case.
Taylor Auerbach is set to give evidence on Thursday, alleging in his affidavit that the Seven Network reimbursed tens of thousands of dollars to former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann during the filming of the Spotlight interview in 2022-2023.
According to Auerbach, a former Seven producer, the network reimbursed Lehrmann for payments for illicit drugs, sex workers, expensive dinners and more.
Auerbach’s affidavit included photographs and text messages to accompany some of his allegations.
Missing from the affidavit were invoices confirming the reimbursement provided to Lehrmann to pay for illicit drugs and sex workers following an after-dinner meeting at the Meriton Sydney on 5 January 2023. According to Auerbach’s affidavit, Seven reimbursed Lehrmann for the expenses of the night through “per diem” (daily allowance) payments.
In a statement to the media, Seven said the network did not condone or authorise any alleged payments to Lehrmann that Auerbach claims to have occurred.
Auerbach provided the court with several receipts in his affidavit, claiming tens of thousands of dollars were allegedly charged to the Seven network from November 2022 to January 2023.
One of the largest invoices came from 26 November 2022. According to Auerbach, eight separate charges to Sensai Thai Massage amounted to $10,315.
Expensive dinners – ranging from $300 to over $500 – were also allegedly charged to Seven. One meal from Chophouse Restaurant included a 1.9kg tomahawk steak that cost $361. A $517 bill from Franca, a restaurant in Sydney, and a $450 bill from Spice Temple in Sydney, were invoiced to the Network.
Lehrmann allegedly invoiced Seven for a round of golf, plus golfing equipment, at Barnbougle in Tasmania, costing $401. The network also reportedly received a $259 bill from Bridport Hotel, Tasmania.
Lehrmann also allegedly footed the bill for a three-week stint at an accommodation in Randwick to Seven, amounting to $11,738.
Other expenses, including taxis and flights, were reportedly invoiced to Seven as well.
In his affidavit, Auerbach claims Mark Llewellyn, the executive producer of Spotlight, approved the expenses invoiced to Seven.
Auerbach also claims Lehrmann potentially provided the programme with confidential documents from his criminal trial in 2022.
Allegations of these expenses paid by Seven first broke in an article on news.com.au, written by Samantha Maiden, on 21 March.
At the time, Lehrmann told The Australian the allegations were “untrue and bizarre”, coming from “a disgruntled ex-Network Seven producer”.
“Network Seven have only ever covered reasonable travel for filming and accommodation,” he said.
Lehrmann is suing Network Ten following an interview on their news programme, The Project, that he claims defamed him.
The interview was with journalist Lisa Wilkinson and former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins. She alleged she was raped inside a ministerial suite in Parliament House in March 2019.
Although the story never named him, Lehrmann claimed the interview defamed him. He faced a criminal trial over the allegations in 2022, which was ultimately abandoned, and he has always denied any allegation of rape.
The reopening of the Lehrmann v Network Ten defamation trial means the verdict of the trial will be delayed beyond this week, the scheduled time Justice Michael Lee was due to deliver his judgement.