Linda Reynolds claims Brittany Higgins and Lisa Wilkinson framed her as the ‘perfect villain’ following Bruce Lehrmann rape allegations — as a multimillion-dollar lawsuit looms

Linda Reynolds claims Brittany Higgins and Lisa Wilkinson framed her as the “perfect villain” on The Project when the former staffer first went public with her rape allegations.

Senator Reynolds made her explosive claims on 7News Spotlight during her first-ever television interview about Ms. Higgins’ sexual assault allegations against former colleague Bruce Lehrmann.

The ex-Liberal aide alleged that Mr Lehrmann raped her in Ms Reynolds’ office at Parliament House, when she was defense industry minister, after a night out in March 2019. He strongly denies the allegations.

On Sunday night Ms Reynolds said she was ‘devastated’ when she watched the February 2021 episode of The Project – when Ms Higgins first aired her accusations on national television.

Mr Lehrmann also suggested he could sue for about $6 million because his life is “ruined” and he may “never, ever work again.”

Villain of the story

Ms Reynolds said Ms Higgins unnecessarily made her the ‘bad guy’ of the story in her interview with Wilkinson and accused her of covering up the alleged incident.

“I was the perfect villain,” Reynolds said.

“While none of it—this is the irony of it—none of it was absolutely true.

“Every good story like this needs a villain, how that was set up with Mrs. Higgins and Lisa Wilkinson.”

In March 2019, in the days following the alleged rape, Ms Higgins did meet with Ms Reynolds and her former chief of staff Fiona Brown.

The meeting was scheduled to address a security breach caused when Ms Higgins and Mr Lehrmann entered the defense suite in the early hours of the morning – the night of the alleged attack.

Ms Higgins has previously said she revealed her alleged rape to her bosses at that meeting, but Ms Reynolds claims that was not the case at all – saying on Sunday evening she only learned of an alleged assault about an hour ago. week later.

She also said Ms. Higgins never used the word “rape” in their conversations.

Speaking of the interview with The Project, Ms Reynolds hurt the claims against her.”

“It more than hurt, it completely devastated me, the allegations that were aired about me, you can’t think of anything worse or a worse allegation from any woman that you covered up the rape of a young woman in your own office.”

She said it was worse because, while Mr. Lehrmann was fired after the security breach, she gave Ms. Higgins another chance.

Brittany saw that and then went in and she was rightfully concerned about her job.

“We made it clear that she had acted wrongly, but if she wanted to keep her job, she could.

“I definitely gave her a second chance. She was bright, politically aware, just the person we wanted here.’

Ms Reynolds also referred to a taped conversation between Ms Higgins, her now fiancé David Sharaz, Wilkinson and Channel 10 producer Angus Llewellyn in January 2021 – about two weeks before the episode of The Project aired.

During that five-hour chat, Wilkinson let loose on Ms. Reynolds — referring to her as “that damn woman” and read aloud their private conversations.

Mrs. Reynolds said, “A woman I’ve never met… Where does this hatred come from? It’s visceral… I’ve never met Lisa.”

$6 million lawsuit

Mr Lehrmann also said he is considering further legal action after the fallout from the trial – which could be worth around $6 million.

“It’s going to have to be a multi-million dollar claim because I have to consider that I may never work again,” he said.

‘After being smeared and tossed for two or three years now.

‘I am innocent. If we could have had a fair trial and a trial at all, I am fully convinced that it… would have resulted in a not guilty verdict for me.”

He wouldn’t say exactly what amount he was looking for, but when presenter Liam Bartlett suggested about $6 million, Mr. Lehrmann: “Yes.”

Mr Lehrmann is currently suing Channel 10, Lisa Wilkinson and the ABC in a joint defamation claim, which he said he “will not back down”.

‘Didn’t get a fair trial’

Mr Lehrmann’s lawyer, Steven Whybrow, was also interviewed and spoke mainly about the behavior of ACT Director of Public Prosecutions, Shane Drumgold.

The Spotlight interview comes almost a week after the findings of a committee of inquiry were handed over by ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr – in the form of a lengthy report of nearly 900 pages.

The inquiry, chaired by former Judge Walter Sofronoff, examined how his trial in the ACT Supreme Court last October was handled by police and Mr Drumgold.

Mr Sofronoff found that the chief prosecutor had “knowingly lied” to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and had “lost objectivity and failed to act with honesty and detachment as required by his role”.

Mr Drumgold resigned as ACT Director of Public Prosecutions last week after the inquiry into the handling of Mr Lehrmann’s rape case produced several negative findings against him, which he has refuted.

Mr Whybrow said he believes his client was not given a fair trial, saying the Sofronoff report showed there was ‘a loss of objectivity’ in the case against his client.

“According to the Sofronoff report and my experience, Bruce has not received a fair trial,” said Mr Whybrow.

“Things happened, there was a near, I don’t know how to explain it, but we were against it from the beginning and this case… it was hard.”

The missing coat

In the CCTV footage of Ms Higgins leaving Parliament the next day after the alleged rape, she was wearing a black and white Carla Zampatti jacket – which belonged to Ms Reynolds.

Ms Higgins previously told a court she took it from a charity bin in the minister’s office, which Ms Reynolds said on Sunday ‘made me laugh’.

“I thought I had lost it, but not until Brittany carried it home the next morning,” she said.

It was alleged in the lawsuit that she got it from (a charity bin). And it made me laugh, that was my wardrobe.

“I never got it back.”