Bruce Lehrmann could be paid up to $250,000 in sit down interview with Seven
Talks of a potential sit down interview between Bruce Lehrmann and a major network are in the works, with a major sum of money reportedly on offer.
Bruce Lehrmann’s team has held talks with Seven over a potential sit down interview which sources claim could be worth up to $250,000.
The former Liberal staffer, who was previously charged with one count of sex without consent with Brittany Higgins has always denied the allegation and was never convicted of a crime. The DPP dropped the charge on December 2 citing Brittany Higgins’ mental health.
As Ms Higgins’ lawyers prepares to hold mediation talks this week over her $3 million compensation claim against the Commonwealth on Tuesday, Mr Lehrmann is weighing whether or not to talk to a TV network about the trial, the decision to charge him and the decision to drop the charge.
It follows bombshell revelations the police had doubts there was enough evidence to convict and did not want him charged and were fighting with the Director of Public Prosecutions over the matter.
Mr Lehrmann’s friend, former Liberal staffer and colourful political strategist John Macgowan, who attended the trial with him on most days with his legal team, has held talks with journalists from the Seven Network but no decision has been made on who will conduct the interview.
Sources close to the Liberal staffer, who had always maintained his innocence, have told news.com.au that an interview with Mr Lehrmannn could be worth over $250,000.
The Nine Network has indicated to Mr Lehrmann that while they are interested in an interview with the former Liberal staffer they are not prepared to pay.
It’s believed 60 Minutes approached Mr Lehrmann with a view to securing a sit down interview but that negotiations stalled.
The Seven Network sent a journalist, Taylor Auerbach to the trial of Mr Lehrmann. Mr Auerbach was involved in securing a paid interview with the husband of fraudster Melissa Caddick.
Hairdresser Anthony Koletti was paid $150,000 for the interview with him which subsequently won a Kennedy award for Scoop of the Year.
Bruce Lehrmann has hired one of Australia’s top defamation lawyers to examine the prospects of legal action against multiple media outlets including Channel 10’s The Project and the ABC for broadcasting live a speech by Brittany Higgins at the press club with Grace Tame.
Sydney defamation lawyer Mark O’Brien, whose law firm represents Ben Roberts-Smith VC in his defamation battle with Fairfax/Nine newspapers, has confirmed that he has now joined the former Liberal staffers legal team.
No concerns notices have been sent to date, as lawyers examine a large volume of media reports and public speeches over the last two years.
Mr Lehrmann’s legal bills alone for the criminal trial are estimated to run up to $400,000 with two barristers agreeing to work pro bono.
If Mr Lehrmann does secure a paid interview or defamation payouts from media outlets, some of that money could be directed to pay his defence barrister and Canberra-based solicitor Kamy Saeedi law.
Meanwhile, the Commonwealth is preparing to hold mediation talks on Tuesday with former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins over a compensation claim.
Sources who have seen the legal documentation supporting Ms Higgins’ claim say that it includes compensation for lost earnings, future earnings and at-home support for Ms Higgins, who has not worked full-time since she went public with her account of an alleged incident at Parliament House.
It’s believed the claim includes $2.5 million for future economic loss, past economic loss, general damages of future assistance with at-home care and past and future out-of-pocket expenses of a further $150,000.
But an official claim has not been filed while parties prepare to enter into mediation talks set down for December 13.
News.com.au previously revealed over the weekend that Ms Higgins’ legal team had entered negotiations over a bombshell multimillion-dollar personal injury claim.
This month, former Defence Minister Linda Reynolds confirmed her former staffer Brittany Higgins intends to file a compensation claim — that could climb as high as $3 million.
“I confirm that I was advised in March this year by Blumers, who act for Brittany Higgins, of a civil claim by Ms Higgins against me and other parties,” Senator Reynolds said.
“However, proceedings are yet to be filed. Blumers advised me yesterday that their client intends to progress the civil claim this month.”
But since that date, a deadline for Ms Higgins’ lawyers to claim against Ms Reynolds personally has expired, with the Liberal senator now no longer a respondent in the matter.
Instead, negotiations are continuing with the Commonwealth and another former employer Liberal Senator Michaelia Cash.
Liberal sources had previously stated that Ms Reynolds, who gave dramatic evidence at the criminal trial this year, was reluctant for the Commonwealth to settle the case.
Last year, Senator Reynolds offered a confidential defamation settlement to Ms Higgins after it emerged she had privately referred to her as a “lying cow”.
The money was donated to charity.
Lawyers acting for Ms Higgins indicated to the Commonwealth they were pressing ahead with the claim on Friday December 2, the same day that it was announced the charge against Bruce Lehrmann would be dropped and the criminal trial would not proceed based on a risk to the life of the complainant, who remains hospitalised in Queensland.
Ms Higgins is being represented in the personal injury matter by Noor Blumer, a founding partner of Blumers Lawyers who has practised as a personal injury lawyer since 1992.
Ms Blumer has been quietly negotiating the claim since February.
News of the compensation claim follows shock revelations that police accidentally and “unlawfully” sent Ms Higgins’ private counselling notes to Mr Lehrmann’s original defence team.
Further revelations that police held concerns there was insufficient evidence to charge Mr Lehrmann were also leaked to The Weekend Australian, prompting the prosecutor Shane Drumgold to claim that this was – potentially – another unlawful disclosure.
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The other former minister named in the claim, Senator Cash, emphatically denied in the ACT Supreme Court that she knew of Ms Higgins’ rape allegations more than a year before it became public in February 2021.
“Not a sexual element, no,” Senator Cash said.
“The first time that she mentioned an (alleged) sexual element was I think in the conversation on the 5th of February 2021.”
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