Bruce Lehrmann 'invoiced Seven for cocaine, prostitutes', Taylor Auerbach says
In explosive evidence, Taylor Auerbach tells court Bruce Lehrmman pulled out a bag of cocaine and tried googling prostitutes at a Sydney hotel last year.
Taylor Auerbach, his lawyer Rebekah Giles, Lisa Wilkinson's barrister Sue Chrysanthou and Bruce Lehrmann.
The Federal Court has adjourned in the Bruce Lehrmann defamation case and will return at 10.15am tomorrow. Recap how Thursday's hearing unfolded after new allegations were raised by former Seven Network producer Taylor Auerbach. The Australian is launching our legal affairs newsletter, Ipso Facto. Sign up here to get the first edition.
A Seven Network spokesperson says claims from its former Spotlight producer Taylor Auerbach that Bruce Lehrmann issued any invoice to the network to cover illicit drugs and prostitutes are "completely false".
Mr Auerbach told the Federal Court this afternoon that Mr Lehrmann issued Seven an invoice for payment of drugs and sex workers, but admitted he had not seen any receipt that the payment was made.
He did, however, say Spotlight executive producer Mark Llewellyn gave "verbal approval" for the invoice to be satisfied.
A Seven spokesperson this afternoon issued a statement rejecting these allegations.
The spokesperson also rejected the suggestion that Mr Auerbach was offered a promotion after disclosing he had used his corporate credit card to buy Thai massages.
Former Seven producer Taylor Auerbach leaves the Federal Court after giving evidence on Thursday. He returns on Friday.. Picture: NCA NewsWire / John Appleyard
The Federal Court has adjourned for the afternoon and will return at 10.15am tomorrow to continue the cross-examination of former Spotlight producer Taylor Auerbach.
Taylor Auerbach has admitted he did not see any receipts showing Seven paid Bruce Lehrmann a per diem to reimburse him for illicit drugs and prostitutes.
However, he has maintained that Mr Lehrmann issued the network an invoice for payment for the activities.
"I only saw the invoice, I didn't see the payment received," Mr Auerbach said.
He told the court Spotlight executive producer Mark Llewellyn gave "verbal approval" for a Seven accounts manager to satisfy Mr Lehrmann's invoice.
Mr Lehrmann's barrister Matthew Richardson SC put to Mr Auerbach that he "never saw any such document that went into Channel Seven or came out of Channel Seven".
Former Spotlight producer Taylor Auerbach is seen arriving at the Federal Court of Australia to give evidence in the Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial today. Picture: Matrixnews
Former Spotlight producer Taylor Auerbach claims Bruce Lehrmann leaked him 2000 pages of messages between Brittany Higgins and her ex-boyfriend Ben Dillaway while on a golf trip in Tasmania.
Mr Lehrmann's barrister Matthew Richardson SC suggested to Mr Auerbach that his client did not provide him confidential documents from his criminal rape trial.
But Mr Auerbach was adamant Mr Lehrmann was the source of the messages, and also leaked the AFP statement of facts from the trial.
Mr Richardson attempted to undermine Mr Auerbach's credibility by telling the court that at the time the documents were allegedly leaked, Mr Auerbach was drinking about 30 standard drinks a day.
Mr Richardson: "You say that Mr Lehrmann provided these 2000 odd pages of messages between Mr Dillaway and Ms Higgins on a golf trip just before Christmas (2022), more than three months before there was an agreement for a story. It didn't happen, did it Mr Auerbach?"
Mr Auerbach: "It did. It most certainly did."
Auerbach denies motive to damage Seven, ex-colleagues
Taylor Auerbach leaves the building housing the Federal Court in Sydney after Thursday's evidence. Picture: NCA NewsWire / John Appleyard
Taylor Auerbach has admitted he hates certain former colleagues at Seven, but has denied his participation in the Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial is "to do damage" to his ex-employer.
The court was played a video of Mr Auerbach smashing the golf clubs of his former friend and colleague Steve Jackson, whom he admitted he "hates".
Mr Auerbach said he was "deeply concerned" when the Spotlight interview with Mr Lehrmann was nominated for a Walkley and his name was left off the nomination.
Mr Lehrmann's barrister Matthew Richardson SC put to Mr Auerbach that he was "obviously proud of the story".
Mr Auerbach replied, saying "No sir, I was not proud of that story."
He admitted to calling a Seven executive and saying he "objected" to the story being entered in the Walkleys.
He admitted that he made threats to appear at the Seven AGM "and raise embarrassing questions" but said his threats were not serious.
Mr Richardson suggested Mr Auerbach is "here today to do as much damage to your former employer and former colleagues as you possibly can".
Mr Auerbach said he "strongly disagreed".
Mr Richardson: "And you're prepared to lie in that endeavour?"
Mr Auerbach: "No sir."
Mr Auerbach admitted to "in part" backgrounding journalists against Mr Jackson after reports emerged he had been appointed as media adviser to NSW police commissioner Karen Webb.
Taylor Auerbach says he was offered a promotion and a pay rise at Seven after being caught using a corporate credit card to buy Thai massages for himself and former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann.
At the time of the credit card misuse, Mr Auerbach was trying to persuade Mr Lehrmann to hand over his exclusive interview rights to Spotlight.
Mr Lehrmann has denied receiving a massage.
Mr Auerbach admitted the credit card misuse was "wrong" and told the court he resigned the morning after on "the worst morning of my life".
He resigned in an email to executive producer Mark Llewellyn, in which he did not mention Mr Lehrmann.
Mr Lehrmann's barrister Matthew Richardson SC asked Mr Auerbach why, in his affidavit, he said Mr Lehrmann was involved with the massages, but did not mention Mr Lehrmann to Mr Llewellyn the day after the massages allegedly occurred.
"I want to suggest to you that the motive was to humiliate Mr Lehrmann," Mr Richardson said.
Mr Auerbach responded: "No, that's wrong."
Mr Auerbach said a week after confessing to his bosses at Seven that he had booked the massages on his corporate card, he was given a promotion and a pay rise.
Woman's naked photos 'unconnected with Sky sacking'
Former Spotlight producer Taylor Auerbach had admitted to sending naked photos of an unnamed woman to journalists last month, but denied this was the reason he was let go from Sky News Australia last month.
Under cross-examination, Mr Auerbach admitted to having circulated the images without the consent of the women in the pictures, but said it did not contribute to the decision for him to be sacked from Sky.
Bruce Lehrmann's barrister Matthew Richardson SC asked Mr Auerbach: "Did your employers at Sky become aware that this had happened, that you had sent these photographs of this woman to various media organisations?"
Mr Auerbach: "No, I don't know."
Mr Richardson: "Isn't that why you were sacked, Mr Auerbach?"
Mr Auerbach: "No."
Mr Auerbach said he had not been questioned by police on the matter.
Mr Auerbach said he was let go from Sky due to "trust and confidence issues".
He said in a meeting with his boss and an a human resources representative he was asked whether he was the unnamed producer in media reports who bought Thai massages for himself and Mr Lehrmann on a corporate credit card.
Lehrmann invoiced Seven for drug use, prostitutes, court told
Bruce Lehrmann arrives at the Federal Court with his legal team last December for a hearing in his defamation case against Network 10 and Lisa Wilkinson over Brittany Higgins' allegations. The case continues. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift
Former Spotlight producer Taylor Auerbach says Bruce Lehrmann issued invoices to Seven covering his illegal drug use and prostitutes.
Mr Auerbach has recalled a night in January last year at the Meriton hotel in Sydney CBD when Mr Lehrmman pulled out a bag of cocaine and tried googling prostitutes.
At the time, Mr Auerbach said he had been assigned as Mr Lehrmann's "babysitter" to try and persuade him to do an interview with Spotlight.
"After Bruce Lehrmann and I finished dinner at Franca we traveled by taxi to the meriton after buying some alcohol at a nearby alcohol shop," he told the court.
"Channel seven had put Mr Lehrmann up at the Meriton for what he described as a coming down to Sydney to 'unwind' kind of trip, and I had been appointed to be his babysitter/minder looking after him."
Mr Auerbach said, at the time, he was "building up a rapport" with Mr Lehrmann, and "trying to build trust and some sort of relationship with a prospective interview subject".
"Mr Lehrmann had over dinner purchased a bag of cocaine while we were dining at Franca, and when we got upstairs to the room, he pulled that out and started to put it on a plate," Mr Auerbach said.
"Then he started talking to me about a prospective Spotlight story, and his desire to order prostitutes to the Meriton that night. Again, googling a series of websites to try and make that happen."
Mr Auerbach said during that conversation, Mr Lehrmann agreed to be in a Spotlight interview but refused to talk about the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins.
"I was taken aback," Mr Auerbach said. "It jumped out at me as quite concerning so I put it to him that we would have to ask him hard questions about the night in Canberra given that was the whole purpose of the Spotlight investigation."
Mr Auerbach said he told Mr Lehrmann he "didn't have any money", and Mr Lehrmann responded saying "he was going to pay for the evening".
"At a later date he would then talk to me about how he wanted to be repaid," Mr Auerbach said.
He later said Mr Lehrmann expected to be paid back for the events of that night via a "per diem"
"I recall seeing the invoice," Mr Auerbach said. "It was sent to either me or our unit manager or both of us. But it was an invoice for the period covering that trip in Sydney."
Former Spotlight producer Taylor Auerbach says his ex-boss Mark Llewellyn sent him images of messages between Brittany Higgins and SMH columnist Peter FitzSimons in the lead-up to the program's interview with Bruce Lehrmann.
Mr Auerbach has begun giving evidence in chief in the defamation case between former Liberal staffer Mr Lehrmann, Network 10 and presenter Lisa Wilkinson.
He told the court in the lead up to the broadcast of Spotlight's interview with Mr Lehrmann in June last year, executive producer Mr Llewellyn sent him images of Ms Higgins' texts with FitzSimons to help him prepare a script.
FitzSimons had been helping Ms Higgins secure a book deal to detail her allegations of being raped in Parliament House.
"We were in the scripting stage (and) Mr Llewellyn asked me to script the section of the program relating to the book deal and also the Sofronoff inquiry," Mr Auerbach said.
"To assist me in that he sent me a bundle of photographs … via WhatsApp."
Mr Auerbach has signed four affidavits including bombshell claims that Seven covered the cost of prostitutes for Mr Lehrmann, as well as illicit drugs, a round of golf and a $361 Tomahawk steak when trying to get him on board for an exclusive interview.
Mr Auerbach also claims that Mr Lehrmann gave Spotlight confidential court documents to use as part of his interview with the program, despite previously saying under oath he "just gave an interview" to Seven.
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