Linda Reynolds has broken her silence following the evisceration of Bruce Lehrmann in the Federal Court and has vowed she is “committed to fully vindicate” his reputation.
The senator revealed she will continue her own defamation proceedings against her former employee Brittany Higgins and Ms Higgins’ partner David Sharaz.
Ms Reynolds is suing Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz separately in the Federal Court in Washington over comments the couple made about her on social media.
Ms Reynolds had long been criticized for her handling of Ms Higgins’ rape allegation, which was allegedly committed by Mr Lehrmann on a sofa in his office in Parliament in the early hours of March 23. 2019, when she acted as a defense. Minister.
Judge Michael Lee, in his 324-page ruling handed down Monday, concluded that the rape probably took place.
Former Coalition minister Linda Reynolds (pictured) has revealed she will continue her own defamation proceedings against her former employee Brittany Higgins and Ms Higgins’ partner David Sharaz.
Ms Reynolds is suing Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz (pictured) separately in the WA Federal Court over comments they made on social media about her.
But Judge Lee also found no evidence of the political “cover-up narrative” that he said was pushed by Ms. Higgins and Mr. Sharaz “from the first moment” of their decision to speak to Lisa Wilkinson on The Project in February 2021, and described it as “objectively short on facts but long on speculation and internal inconsistencies.”
Ms Reynolds said it “would be an understatement” to say she was satisfied with Judge Lee’s ruling, describing the whole matter as a “cover-up that never existed”.
“For three years I have endured intense public scrutiny, smearing, vile trolling and been demonized as the villain in a political cover-up story that I always knew was false,” Ms Reynolds told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Ms Reynolds said she and her former chief of staff, Fiona Brown, “had their reputations destroyed and our health seriously and irreparably compromised”.
Ms. Brown was one of the only witnesses in Mr. Lehrmann’s defamation case to receive much praise from Judge Lee.
Ms Brown, who had been Mr Lehrmann and Ms Higgins’ boss, had demonstrated “integrity” in her handling of Ms Higgins’ case, Judge Lee concluded.
Ms Reynolds had long been criticized for her handling of Ms Higgins’ rape allegation, which was allegedly committed by Mr Lehrmann (pictured) on a sofa in his ministerial office in Parliament in the early hours of March 23, 2019.
While Judge Michael Lee, in his 324-page ruling handed down on Monday, found that the rape did take place, he also found no evidence of the political “cover-up narrative” that he said was pushed by Higgins and Sharaz about Ms. Reynolds (pictured) and other Liberal Party figures
The employee had resisted political pressure to report Ms. Higgins’ incident to the Federal Police, the judge said.
“Despite Ms Brown facing sustained pressure from her minister and one of the minister’s colleagues to report the incident to the AFP, although she was not sure whether a rape allegation was being made at the time and “Regardless of Ms. Higgins’ wishes, she refused,” Judge Lee observed.
He added: “She showed integrity by resisting pressure that she subjectively considered inappropriate and demonstrated concern for Ms. Higgins’ autonomy and well-being,” he said.
“In these circumstances, being later vilified as a callous bureaucrat willing to put up obstacles to cover up criminal conduct at the behest of his political bosses must be worse than infuriating.”
Ms Reynolds said she and her former chief of staff, Fiona Brown (pictured), “had their reputations destroyed and our health seriously and irreparably compromised”.
The judge also said he “unhesitatingly” preferred Ms Brown’s evidence to that of Ms Higgins and Mr Lehrmann.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said on Tuesday that Ms Reynolds had been “absolutely vindicated”.
“He is a first-class person, a person of great honor and integrity, his reputation has been tarnished and he is right to pursue the matter the way he does,” he said in reference to Mrs. Reynolds.
“I would have thought that, following yesterday’s sentencing, people would look to resolve the matter against Linda Reynolds and give her a full apology for the way her reputation has been tarnished.”
Nine-hour mediation talks last month between Higgins, Sharaz and Reynolds failed to reach an agreement.
Mrs Higgins was admitted to hospital several hours after talks broke down.
Unless the couple decides to settle, a trial is expected to take place, likely to begin in May and last six weeks.