ABC firm on Christian Porter defamation defence
The ABC remains committed to standing by star reporter Louise Milligan in its high-stakes legal battle with Christian Porter.
The ABC is standing firm in its high-stakes legal battle with Christian Porter over allegations it defamed the former attorney-general in an online article revealing a senior politician had been accused of historic sexual assault.
The public broadcaster has until Tuesday evening to file its defences in the Federal Court. Mr Porter sued the ABC and its star reporter Louise Milligan after the story appeared on February 26. ABC insiders said it remained committed to defending the action and stood by Milligan.
Although not named, Mr Porter, 50, claimed he was easily identifiable as the cabinet minister accused of raping a young female acquaintance — now deceased — as a teenager during a school debating trip to Sydney in 1988. He strenuously denies the allegation. He publicly outed himself less than a week after the article was published but claims by then he had already suffered severe reputational damage.
His legal team last month raised “concerns” about publication of the allegations and accused Milligan of deleting social media posts that could affect the case. The ABC denied Milligan deleted any relevant material.
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