A series of receipts annexed to affidavits allege that Taylor Auerbach, a former Network Seven employee, incurred expenses on behalf of Bruce Lehrmann, another former employee. The receipts include a $504 meal at a Sydney restaurant in January 2023, as well as a $10,315 Thai massage booked in November 2022. Auerbach disputes claims that he was disciplined for misuse of a company credit card, as well as Lehrmann’s denial of allegations involving a Thai masseuse. Auerbach threatens to sue Lehrmann for defamation over these statements.
Additional expenses allegedly incurred for Lehrmann’s benefit include a round of golf and meal in Tasmania, meals in Sydney, and accommodations in Randwick totaling over $11,000. Auerbach claims that payments Lehrmann made for illicit activities at a hotel in Sydney were later reimbursed by Seven through per diems. Text messages suggest that refunds for the activities were requested and facilitated with cash exchanges. Auerbach also alleges that Seven’s executive producer, Mark Llewellyn, was present when Lehrmann discussed and leaked confidential information from his criminal case.
Auerbach further claims that Llewellyn took photos of confidential messages obtained during Lehrmann’s criminal trial in March 2023. These photos were allegedly taken at a Randwick apartment rented in Auerbach’s name. He also alleges that Lehrmann copied material from his criminal case at Seven’s offices in Sydney with Llewellyn’s assistance. The allegations are part of a broader defamation case involving Lehrmann’s relationship with former colleague Brittany Higgins and the leaking of intimate text messages.
Auerbach’s evidence, if accepted, raises doubts about Lehrmann’s credibility and may impact the defamation case against Network Ten for suggesting he raped Higgins. Lehrmann maintains his innocence, and his ACT Supreme Court criminal trial for sexual assault was twice aborted due to juror misconduct and concerns about Higgins’ mental health. Seven Network has strongly rejected the claims made in Auerbach’s affidavits, stating they are false and misleading. The network asserts that unauthorized expenses incurred by Lehrmann were immediately reimbursed, and the source of the leaked information has not been disclosed. The legal proceedings remain ongoing.
