Ex-senator Brian Burston revealed Clive Palmer paid his legal bills for 12 months

A former senator has confessed he leaked a story about one of his staffers allegedly having a sexual relationship with another former senator, while Clive Palmer foot the bill for his legal fees.

A former senator has revealed that chairman of the United Australia Party, Clive Palmer, fronted his legal bills during his defamation proceedings against Pauline Hanson.

Brian Burston, 74, appeared in the Federal Court in Sydney on Tuesday as his defamation proceedings continue against the One Nation leader after she booted him out of the party in 2018.

He claims Ms Hanson made false allegations of sexual harassment against him on social media, on television and in a text to his wife, Rosalyn.

Mr Burston, who quit One Nation following the public spat to join the United Australia Party, fronted the witness stand for a second day, where he told the court Mr Palmer paid for the first 12 months of his legal proceedings in 2019.

Sue Chrysanthou SC, representing Ms Hanson, grilled the former senator about a concerns notice he sent to his former staffer, Wendy Leach, in April 2019.

Ms Leach worked for Mr Burston while he was a sitting senator before she was dismissed from her role as an electoral officer in 2018 and is now suing him in separate proceedings, claiming he discriminated against her on the grounds of sex.

Former leader of the United Australia Party Clive Palmer has links to Pauline Hanson’s defamation trial. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

On Tuesday, Mr Burston told the court he intended to sue Ms Leach for defamation but didn’t want to have two proceedings at once, as it would be “onerous”.

“After these proceedings finish, I intend to commence them; it was too much money, cost and time,” he told the court.

The former senator insisted he was paying his legal fees but he admitted Mr Palmer had paid for the first 12 months after he launched proceedings in 2019.

Ms Chrysanthou suggested Mr Burston had no issue with starting two proceedings in 2019, but rather he served the concerns notice so he could leak it to the press and “name and shame” Ms Leach.

Mr Burston replied: “I didn’t leak anything to the press”.

The court heard Mr Burston hired his former cleaner, who was 30 years younger than him, as an electoral officer when he became a senator.

Mr Burston denied calling the woman a “good-looking sheila”, referring to her as “Miss World” and saying she had “long lovely curly hair”.

Former One Nation senator Brian Burston is suing Pauline Hanson for defamation. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

He also denied saying she had “sexy legs”, was wearing a “sex dress”, told her she “looked beautiful” and denied comments about her breasts.

Ms Chrysanthou grilled Mr Burston on an incident where he asked another member of staff to phone the woman four times to question her on her alleged sexual relationship with former Senator Peter Georgiou.

“You directed an employee to make calls about the relationship between your staffer and Senator Georgiou and you told her to record them,” Ms Chrysanthou suggested.

He denied telling his employee to record the call, but conceded he was aware of it.

“We’re used to being secretly recorded … I wouldn’t condone it but I didn’t take issue with it,” he told the court.

Ms Chrysanthou said Mr Burston showed “shocking conduct” by not reprimanding the employee for recording the call.

“It was conduct that if known publicly would bring the senate into disrepute … it was disgraceful,” she said.

The former senator did not agree and said he was “very busy” at the time, not focusing on the issue.

Ms Chrysanthou suggested Mr Burston kept pursuing information about his staffer’s relationship, which was “utterly” none of his business and was “disgusting conduct”.

The court heard Mr Burston leaked a story to the media about former One Nation Senator Peter Georgiou (pictured with his back to the camera) during his defamation trial against Pauline Hanson (pictured right). Picutre: AAP/Mick Tsikas

She also alleged he did it because he was “infatuated” with the staffer and did it out of “jealousy”.

“I agree it had nothing to do with me, but when it is on taxpayer money it becomes my business,” he told the court.

Following confirmation of the relationship, Mr Burston admitted to the court that he leaked it to the media.

“You directed one of your staff members to obtain information about another staff member, then informed a member of the press about it so a story could be written,” Ms Chrysanthou said.

Mr Burston responded: “Pretty much, yes”.

When Ms Chrysanthou implied the conduct was “disgusting”, Mr Burston said it was Mr Georgiou who was “out of line”.

Mr Burston told the court after the article was printed, he put it in the window of his office.

“In hindsight, it was probably inappropriate, but I wanted to make a statement – perhaps staff shouldn’t mingle with senators for a start,” he said.

Ms Chrysanthou said his actions were “utterly inexcusable” and that he “brought the senate into disrepute” with his “shocking conduct”.

The trial continues before Justice Robert Bromwich.