Brittany Higgins and her now-husband David Sharaz were allegedly drip-feeding false information to Anthony Albanese‘s closest allies in a bid to destroy the Morrison government, according to bombshell new court documents filed by Linda Reynolds’ defence team.
The former Defence Industry minister is suing both Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz separately in the WA Federal Court over social media comments they made which she claims defamed her.
A trial is scheduled for early August after multiple rounds of mediation talks between the parties failed to reach an agreement.
It has since emerged that court documents filed by Ms Reynolds’ legal team have been amended to allege that her former employee Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz engaged in a political conspiracy designed to weaponise her rape allegations against the Liberal government.
An updated statement of claim, obtained by The Australian newspaper, alleges that Ms Higgins ‘acted maliciously’ in making the social media posts.
‘They were published in furtherance of a plan by the defendant and Mr Sharaz to use the defendant’s allegations of a rape and the political cover-up … as a weapon to inflict immediate political damage upon the plaintiff and the then government,’ the statement of claim reportedly states.
Senator Reynolds alleges that part of that plan included organising meetings with Labor figures such as finance minister Katy Gallagher and foreign minister Penny Wong, who were allegedly provided with false information.
The senators were then encouraged to ask ‘aggressive questions’ at Question Time in February 2021, shortly after Ms Higgins went public with her rape allegations against former colleague Bruce Lehrmann in March 2019.
Brittany Higgins and her now-husband David Sharaz (both pictured) were allegedly drip-feeding false information to Anthony Albanese ‘s closest allies in a bid to destroy the Morrison government, according to bombshell new court documents
Senator Linda Reynolds (pictured) alleges that part of their plan included organising meetings with Labor figures such as Katy Gallagher and Penny Wong who were allegedly provided with false information
Mr Sharaz messaged Ms Higgins at the time: ‘Katy is going to come to me with some questions you need to prepare for … she’s really invested now.’
On February 17, 2021, Senator Gallagher accused Senator Reynolds during question time of engaging in a ‘cover-up’ by not answering questions on whether Ms Higgins was encouraged not to report the incident to police.
‘By withholding information, what she is continuing is the cover-up that has been under way for two years, which has been the cause of much trauma to Ms Higgins,’ Sentaro Gallagher reportedly said.
‘It’s the cover-up, often, that is as traumatic as other elements of a serious crime like this because it compounds the trauma.
‘It means that people she worked for, people she looked up to, who she expected to treat her properly, haven’t.’
Senator Reynolds alleges that these ‘aggressive’ questions and the fallout from Ms Higgins’ interview with The Project, which aired that same month led to her being hospitalised.
In alleging a conspiracy, the statement of claim also refers to various text messages between Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz.
On February 17, 2021, Senator Katy Gallagher (pictured) accused Senator Reynolds during question time of engaging in a ‘cover-up’ by not answering questions on whether Ms Higgins was encouraged not to report the incident to police
In one sent in March 2021, Ms Higgins wrote: ‘He’s (Scott Morrison) about to be f****d over. Just wait. We’ve got him.’
On March 28, 2021, Mr Sharaz wrote: ‘Suck s*** Linda … You awful human.’
The statement of claim also refers to the five hour pre-interview meeting between The Project host Lisa Wilkinson, her producer, Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz.
In it, Mr Sharaz outlined a timeline for running the interview to dovetail with the Senate estimates.
‘Mr Sharaz stated ‘I asked Britt, ultimately, what do you want out of this? And she goes ‘well, I want Bruce t forever have it difficult getting a job, like it’s going to be difficult for me’,’ the statement of claim reads.
‘Apparently addressing the defendant directly, Mr Sharaz then said, ‘and then you said, best-case scenario, Linda Reynolds…’ and the group erupted with laughter.’
The statment of claim also alleges Mr Sharaz teed up meetings with other senior Labor figures, including then opposition leader Anthony Albanese, former prime minister Kevin Rudd and deputy leader Tanya Plibersek.
The newspaper reported that Ms Higgins is defending the claims.
In April this year, Justice Michael Lee handed down a 324-page judgement in the Bruce Lehrmann defamation case, which found that the rape did take place.
But Justice Lee also found no evidence for the political ‘cover-up narrative’ 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.
He described the conspiracy narrative as ‘objectively short on facts but long on speculation and internal inconsistencies’.
Shortly after the ruling, Ms Reynolds told Daily Mail Australia it ‘would be an understatement’ to say she was pleased with Justice Lee’s ruling, describing the whole affair as the ‘cover-up that never was’.
‘For three years I have endured intense public scrutiny, vilification, vile trolling and have been demonised as the villain in a story of a political cover-up I have always known to be untrue,’ she said.
Ms Reynolds said she was ‘committed to fully vindicating’ her reputation in the wake of Justice Lee’s landmark finding.
The case is set down for trial on August 2.