Bruce Lermann could get up to $250,000 for an interview with Seven

The former Liberal employee, who was previously charged with one count of non-consensual s*x with Brittany Higgins, has always denied the allegations and has never been convicted of a crime. On December 2, the DPP dropped the charges, citing Brittany Higgins’ mental health.

As lawyers for Ms Higgins prepare to negotiate this week to mediate her $3 million settlement claim against the Commonwealth on Tuesday, Mr Lermann is weighing whether to talk to the broadcaster about the lawsuit, the decision to bring him charges and the decision to initiate criminal proceedings. reset the charge.

This follows the b*mbshell revelations, the police doubted there was enough evidence to convict and didn’t want him to be charged and fought the Attorney General over it.

Mr. Lermann’s friend, former Liberal Party official and colorful political strategist John McGowan, who attended the trial most of the days along with his legal team, has held talks with Seven Network journalists, but no decision has yet been made on who will conduct the interviews.

Sources close to the Liberal Party official, who has always maintained his innocence, told news.com.au that an interview with Mr Lehrmann could cost more than $250,000.

The Nine Network told Mr Lermann that while they were interested in an interview with a former Liberal employee, they were not willing to pay.

counts 60 minutes appealed to Mr. Lermann in order to achieve a sit-down conversation, but the negotiations reached an impasse.

The Seven Network referred journalist Taylor Auerbach to Mr Lermann’s trial. Mr. Auerbach was involved in arranging a paid interview with the husband of con artist Melissa Caddick.

Hairdresser Anthony Coletti was paid $150,000 for an interview with him that went on to win the Kennedy Award for Sensation of the Year.

Bruce Lehrmann has hired one of Australia’s leading defamation lawyers to explore the prospect of litigation against several media outlets, including Channel 10. Project and ABC for a live broadcast of Brittany Higgins’ press club performance with Grace Thame.

Sydney libel lawyer Mark O’Brien, whose law firm represents Ben Roberts-Smith VC in his Fairfax/Nine libel fight, confirmed this morning that he has now joined the legal team of former Liberal staffers.

To date, no notices of issues have been sent as lawyers review a high volume of media reports and public appearances over the past two years.

Lehrmann’s legal bills alone in the criminal case are valued at $400,000, with two barristers agreeing to work pro bono.

If Mr Lermann does receive a paid interview or defamation compensation from the media, some of that money could be used to pay for his defense lawyer and Canberra lawyer Kami Saidi.

Meanwhile, the Commonwealth is preparing to mediate Tuesday with former Liberal Party official Brittany Higgins over a compensation claim.

Sources who have seen legal documentation supporting Ms Higgins’ claim say it includes compensation for lost earnings, future earnings and home support for Ms Higgins, who has not worked full-time since she posted her report of the alleged incident. at Parliament House.

The claim is believed to include $2.5 million in future economic losses, past economic losses, general damages from future home care assistance, and past and future personal expenses of another $150,000.

But no formal lawsuit has been filed as the parties prepare for mediation talks set for December 13.

News.com.au previously reported over the weekend that Ms Higgins’ legal team had entered into negotiations over a multi-million dollar personal injury claim.

This month, former Secretary of Defense Linda Reynolds confirmed that her former employee Brittany Higgins intends to file a compensation claim that could rise to $3 million.

“I acknowledge that Bloomers, representing Brittany Higgins, informed me in March of this year of Ms. Higgins’ civil lawsuit against me and others,” Senator Reynolds said.

“However, the case has not been opened yet. Bloomers told me yesterday that their client intends to file a civil lawsuit this month.”

But as of that date, the deadline for Ms. Higgins’ attorneys to file a personal suit against Ms. Reynolds has expired, and the Liberal Senator is no longer a defendant in the case.

Instead, negotiations continue with the Commonwealth and another former employer, Liberal Senator Michaelia Cash.

Liberal sources have previously said that Ms. Reynolds, who gave dramatic testimony at this year’s criminal trial, did not want the Commonwealth to settle the case.

Last year, Senator Reynolds offered Ms. Higgins a confidential libel agreement after it was revealed she had privately called her a “lying cow.”

The money was donated to charity.

Lawyers representing Ms Higgins told the Commonwealth they were advancing the lawsuit on Friday, December 2, the same day it was announced that the charge against Bruce Lermann would be dropped and the criminal case would not proceed due to the risk to life. . the applicant, who remains in a hospital in Queensland.

Ms. Higgins is represented in the personal injury case by Noor Blumer, founding partner of Blumers Lawyers, who has been a personal injury lawyer since 1992.

Ms Bloomer has been quietly negotiating the lawsuit since February.

News of the compensation claim follows a shocking revelation that police accidentally and “illegally” sent Ms Higgins’ personal notes to Mr Lermann’s original defense team.

Further revelations that the police feared there was not enough evidence to convict Mr. Lehrmann also leaked to Australian weekendwhich prompted prosecutor Shane Drumgold to claim that this was potentially another illegal disclosure.

Another former minister named in the lawsuit, Senator Cash, vehemently denied in the ACT Supreme Court that she knew of Ms. Higgins’ rape allegations more than a year before they became public in February 2021.

“Not a s*xual element, no,” said Senator Cash.

“The first time she mentioned the (alleged) s*xual element, I think, was in a conversation on February 5, 2021.”