The defamation case between Bruce Lehrmann and Network Ten has for months covered serious allegations centring on an alleged sexual assault in federal parliament, issues of witness credibility and media ethics.
The unexpected twist has its origins in a much smaller, Sydney political scandal: the hiring of the NSW Police commissioner's media adviser.Network Ten had a major court victory on Tuesday night when it successfully argued for the defamation case to be re-opened at the eleventh hour. Justice Lee has previously said he believed both Mr Lehrmann and the former political staffer Brittany Higgins, who accused him of raping her, had credibility issues.Mr Lehrmann's barrister Matthew Richardson SC questioned whether the new information – in the form of four affidavits from Seven producer Taylor Auerbach – was sufficient to justify delaying the proceedings.There's a convention in the media that a journalist should never become part of the story.
Mr Auerbach said he received multiple calls from journalists seeking information about his former colleague Mr Jackson after his controversial hire by NSW Police. In the wake of the Spotlight interview, Mr Auerbach left Seven in August 2023 alleging he had been the victim of sustained bullying and anti-Semitism, before reaching a confidential settlement with the network.
The former Spotlight senior producer also alleged Seven covered a further $12,000 in rental expenses for Mr Lehrmann and met with him over expensive meals, spending $517.97 at Franca, $504 at Chophouse . Mr Auerbach confirmed during his evidence that he has lost his job as Sky News investigative producer, saying it was for "trust and confidence" issues and denying it related to alleged illegal conduct.The invoice is part of the evidence presented as part of the former Seven producer's testimony in Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case.Mr Jackson has not commented publicly since NSW Police released a statement late on Easter Thursday confirming his contract would not proceed.