Liberal staffer at centre of Brittany Higgins’ rape allegation remained in taxpayer-funded job for 10 days

Scott Morrison claimed the Liberal staffer at the centre of Brittany Higgins’ rape allegation was fired “swiftly”. We now know that wasn’t the case.

The employment of the man Brittany Higgins alleged raped her was not terminated for 10 days after he packed up his desk despite the Prime Minister’s claims he was “sacked, quite swiftly” over a security breach.

For the first time, news.com.au can reveal that the Liberal staffer that Brittany Higgins accused of sexually assaulting her remained in his taxpayer-funded job until Friday, April 5, 2019. The alleged incident occurred after Friday night drinks on March 22.

The new date for his termination is significant because Ms Higgins previously stated she understood from her chief of staff that the Liberal staffer was sacked or resigned on the spot after he was confronted over the late night entry to the office during an employment meeting on Tuesday, March 26.

“She sat me down. She said, ‘I know there was an incident that occurred on the weekend’. She said she knew it occurred after hours. The tone of it was like a disciplinary meeting. I knew I was about to be in trouble,’’ Ms Higgins said.

“She said I’ve already spoken to (the staffer) and he’s now no longer with us. He was immediately fired.”

The chief of staff has previously stated she did not understand there was an allegation of rape prior to discussing the matter with the Liberal staffer or during her first meeting with Ms Higgins.

But by Friday, March, 29, Senator Reynolds’ chief of staff had outlined her concerns it was an alleged sexual assault to the Department of Finance and received advice on whether or not they should go to police themselves. The advice suggested this should be left in Ms Higgins’ control.

However, the Department of Finance has now revealed that the man’s employment was not formally terminated until nearly a fortnight after the alleged rape and after Ms Higgins first contacted police.

“I can confirm the employment of the individual was terminated on 5 April 2019 on the grounds of serious misconduct,’’ the Department of Finance response states.

It argues this new date remains “consistent” with the Prime Minister’s public statements on the matter and those of Senator Reynolds.

The new timeline suggests for the first time that Senator Reynolds and her COS were aware of the rape allegation by the time his employment was formally terminated on April 5.

Even if it was not a factor or a reason for the termination, by that date:

• Ms Higgins had also received a text message from another Liberal staffer stating: “Spoke to PMO. He was mortified to hear about it and how things have been handled. He’s going to discuss it with COS on April 3.”

• The termination was also after Senator Reynolds and Fiona Brown met with Ms Higgins on April 1 and encouraged her to contact police.

• It also means the staffer was not formally sacked until after Senator Reynolds’ met with the AFP on Thursday, April 4, 2019 and confirmed an investigation was underway.

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The new timeline disputes the Prime Minister’s previous claims.

News.com.au has contacted the Morrison Government for comment over the new termination date.

The Prime Minister and Senator Reynolds have consistently maintained the reasons for the termination were unrelated to any allegation of sexual assault and related to a security breach of entering the office after hours and previous, unspecified offences.

Mr Morrison first insisted that the Liberal staffer had been sacked “swiftly” just 24 hours after news.com.au broke the story on Monday, February 15.

“So there was an issue of a security breach which was dealt with at the time. And the alleged perpetrator was sacked, removed, quite swiftly over the security breach, in terms of the allegation of a sexual assault that was not in front, I’m advised, of my office at that time,’’ Mr Morrison said.

“And so that matter came later and was being dealt with within the Minister’s office and on an anonymous basis ultimately. And so that matter was not at that point brought to our attention because the matter then didn’t proceed to a police investigation.”

On the same day that the Prime Minister declared the Liberal staffer was sacked “swiftly”, then-Defence Minister Linda Reynolds was asked in the Senate why he was sacked on February 16, 2021.

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Prime Minister Scott Morrison originally claimed the staffer was “sacked, quite swiftly” over a security breach. Picture: Sam Mooy/Getty Images

In response, Senator Reynolds replies she was “bemused” by the question but did not provide an exact date for his employment being terminated.

“The person was terminated by me with the assistance of Ministerial and Parliamentary Services,’ she said.

“I will take advice on how much I can say about that person’s termination, but he was terminated very shortly after this incident. I’ll take it on notice and seek some further advice about how much I can actually say in relation to the circumstances surrounding this, and I will come back to the chamber when I’ve received that advice.”

More recently, the PM was pressed on the termination during an interview on the ABC’s 7.30 program last week.

“Someone was sacked,’’ Mr Morrison said.

“There was an escalation of caution on this individual and that final breach was the one that led to their dismissal. There were sanctions and warnings put in place and then the individual was eventually dismissed for that final breach.”

Ms Higgins has made a formal complaint to the AFP over the alleged rape and the investigation is ongoing.