Albanese government rejects Bruce Lehrmann’s request for legal funding over corruption watchdog raid on his home | Australia news
Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann’s request for financial aid was turned down after the national anti-corruption watchdog’s home was raided.
National Anti-Corruption Commission officials searched the 30-year-old’s home in June 2024 over allegations that he misappropriated classified documents related to French submarines five years ago.
Lehrmann denies the allegation and has sought help from the federal government to cover the legal costs of the raid.
That request was denied Oct. 22 by special secretary of state Don Farrell, the law student explained during a brief federal court hearing Tuesday.
After not hearing back on the funding for more than a year, Lehrmann sued Farrell and NACC commissioner Paul Brereton, seeking court orders mandating a resolution.
Rejected by the minister, the 30-year-old actor told the federal court in Hobart he would amend his case to have the decision subject to judicial review.
While mediation between the parties was canceled due to the change in circumstances, Farrell and Brereton’s lawyer, Bora Kaplan SC, said his clients would be willing to meet Lehrmann in the future.
The former staff member said he also requested funding from attorney general Michelle Rowland.
While a hearing was planned for February, Lehrmann said the anti-corruption watchdog was ready to call for an urgent hearing to be held sooner because it feared Christmas raids.
He told Judge Brigitte Markovic that the watchdog could retaliate after being targeted by Lehrmann’s case and that he had not made an undertaking before February not to make any further moves against him.
“The orders I requested would not harm a new NACC investigation if they now think I stole U.S. submarine secrets,” he said.
In October, Lehrmann said court investigators seized two personal diaries during a raid on his home.
He claims the investigation was spurred by “James Bond-like frivolous allegations”.
Lehrmann is accused of collecting classified information in March 2019 after he allegedly raped his colleague Brittany Higgins in Parliament House.
He has denied allegations of sexual assault, which have yet to be tried in criminal court after a 2022 trial in the ACT was canceled due to juror misconduct.
However, Judge Michael Lee of the federal court found that the allegations of raping Higgins in 2024 were proven on the balance of probabilities and dismissed the defamation lawsuit against Network Ten and presenter Lisa Wilkinson.
Lehrmann appealed the contempt loss.
