Broadcaster Seven has been accused of defamation by an former producer who made sensational claims about the lengths staff took to secure a tell-all interview with Bruce Lehrmann in response to rape claims.
Taylor Auerbach alleges the network made disparaging statements ahead of his evidence during the trial for Lehrmann's failed case against a rival broadcaster.
The ex-producer was allowed to give 11th-hour evidence in a defamation case by Lehrmann against Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson over an interview with Brittany Higgins.
Auerbach said he discussed paying Lehrmann around $200,000 to appear in an exclusive interview on Spotlight, where he would publicly respond to Ms Higgins' allegations that he raped her in Parliament House.
These negotiations took place even as a criminal trial against the former Liberal staffer took place in the ACT.
Seven ended up paying for expensive dinners, hotels, massages and a golf trip for Lehrmann, as well as renting him a house in Sydney's Randwick, according to an affidavit by Auerbach.
One invoice paid by Seven to Lehrmann for $750 was understood by the former producer to cover "expenditure on cocaine and prostitutes".
Auerbach's Federal Court lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, is being run by high-profile defamation law firm Giles George.
The firm's principal Rebekah Giles has previously represented clients like fugitive developer Jean Nassif, Olympic boxer Harry Garside, former attorney-general Christian Porter and ex-Liberal MP Andrew Laming.
Lehrmann suffered a major defeat when his defamation case against Ten was dismissed in the Federal Court in April.
He has been ordered to pay $2 million in legal costs to Ten while the network has agreed to cover $1.15 million of Wilkinson's bill.
The ex-staffer has lodged an appeal of his defamation loss and continues to deny that anything sexual happened between himself and Ms Higgins.
His 2022 criminal trial in the ACT was derailed due to juror misconduct, with prosecutors dropping the charges against him over fears for Ms Higgins' mental health.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
