The Federal Court this week played host to allegations of cocaine benders, boozy dinners, $10,000 in sex worker and massage services charged to the Network Seven company card. The unexpected twist has its origins in a much smaller, Sydney political scandal.
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The Federal Court played host to allegations of cocaine benders, boozy dinners, $10,000 in massage and sex worker services charged to the company card and a $361 steak.
Justice Lee’s quips – watched by tens of thousands of people on the Federal Court’s livestream during this week’s hearings — have reflected the public’s astonishment and even amusement in recent days.
Mr Lehrmann’s barrister Matthew Richardson SC questioned whether the new information – in the form of four affidavits from Seven producer Taylor Auerbach – was sufficient to justify delaying the proceedings.
However, the nomination was later rescinded after court proceedings revealed Seven had paid an estimated $100,000 in rent for Mr Lehrmann over a year, in a financial deal which had not been disclosed to the judging panel.
In the wake of the Spotlight interview, Mr Auerbach left Seven in August 2023 alleging he had been the victim of sustained bullying and anti-Semitism, before reaching a confidential settlement with the network.
Mr Auerbach confirmed during his evidence that he has lost his job as Sky News investigative producer, saying it was for “trust and confidence” issues and denying it related to alleged illegal conduct.
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