Taylor Auerbach has submitted affidavits detailing expenses allegedly incurred by him and/or Channel Seven for the benefit of Bruce Lehrmann. The expenses include a $504 meal at the Chophouse restaurant, a $361 Tomahawk steak, a Sensai Thai Massage costing approximately $10,315, rounds of golf, meals, and accommodation. Auerbach disputes claims by Seven that he was disciplined for misuse of a company credit card, and has threatened to sue Lehrmann for defamation over certain statements.
Auerbach alleges that Seven paid for expenses related to Lehrmann’s activities, including a taxi for Lehrmann from a restaurant to a hotel, where Lehrmann reportedly paid for illicit drugs and prostitutes. Auerbach claims these expenses were reimbursed to Lehrmann by Seven through per diems via an invoice emailed to Spotlight’s Unit Manager. Receipts for a Sensai Thai Massage and other expenses are detailed in Auerbach’s affidavits, including text messages related to reimbursement transactions for the massage services.
Auerbach also alleges that Spotlight’s executive producer, Mark Llewellyn, was present when Lehrmann allegedly discussed and leaked confidential information from his criminal case, potentially committing contempt of court. Llewellyn reportedly took photos of confidential messages obtained for Lehrmann’s criminal trial. Auerbach claims the photos were taken at a Randwick apartment rented in his name for Lehrmann, and that Llewellyn facilitated copying material from the case at Seven’s offices.
Additionally, Auerbach’s affidavits mention evidence related to Higgins and Dillaway’s texts, suggesting that only a fraction of the messages were tendered in the criminal trial. Lehrmann is accused of potentially breaching an implied obligation not to use material obtained during the trial process for a collateral purpose by leaking the texts to Seven. Auerbach’s evidence is argued to raise doubts about Lehrmann’s credibility, impacting the defamation case brought by Ten News.
Lehrmann is pursuing a defamation case against Ten News, alleging that an interview on The Project defamed him by implying his guilt in the alleged rape of his then-colleague Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in 2019. Lehrmann has maintained his innocence, and his ACT Supreme Court criminal trial was aborted due to juror misconduct. Seven Network has strongly rejected the claims made in Auerbach’s affidavits, maintaining that it did not reveal its source and did not condone or authorize any alleged payments to Lehrmann. The court case continues to unfold with ongoing disputes and allegations.
