Linda Reynolds claims Brittany Higgins and Lisa Wilkinson set her up because the ‘excellent villain’ after Bruce Lehrmann rape allegations – as multi-million greenback lawsuit looms

Linda Reynolds claims Brittany Higgins and Lisa Wilkinson set her up because the ‘excellent villain’ on The Mission, when the previous staffer first went public along with her rape allegations.

Senator Reynolds made her explosive claims on 7News Highlight throughout her first-ever televised interview about Ms Higgins sexual assault allegations in opposition to former colleague Bruce Lehrmann.

The ex-Liberal staffer alleged Mr Lehrmann raped her inside Ms Reynolds workplace in Parliament Home, when she was the defence business minister, after an evening out in March 2019. He strongly denies the allegations.

On Sunday evening, Ms Reynolds mentioned she was ‘devastated’ when she watched the episode of The Mission in February 2021 – when Ms Higgins first aired her allegations on nationwide tv.

Mr Lehrmann additionally recommended he could launch a legislation swimsuit for about $6million as a result of his life has been ‘ruined’ and he could ‘by no means, ever work once more’. 

Villain of the story 

Linda Reynolds mentioned Ms Higgins (pictured collectively entrance left) unnecessarily made her a ‘villain’ of the story’ in her interview with Wilkinson, and accused her of making an attempt to cowl up the alleged incident

Ms Reynolds mentioned Ms Higgins unnecessarily made her a ‘villain’ of the story’ in her interview with Wilkinson, and accused her of making an attempt to cowl up the alleged incident.

‘I used to be the right villain,’ Reynolds mentioned.

‘Though none of it – that is the irony of it – none of it was completely true.

‘Each good story like this wants a villain, how that was arrange with Ms Higgins and Lisa Wilkinson.’

In March 2019, within the days after the alleged rape, Ms Higgins did had a gathering with Ms Reynolds and her former chief of workers Fiona Brown.

The assembly had been scheduled to deal with a safety breach, which was triggered when Ms Higgins and Mr Lehrmann entered the defence suite within the early hours of the morning – on the night of the alleged assault.

Ms Higgins has beforehand mentioned she disclosed her alleged rape to her bosses throughout that assembly, however Ms Reynolds maintains that wasn’t the case in any respect – and, on Sunday evening, mentioned she wasn’t privy to an alleged sexual assault till a few week later.

She additionally mentioned Ms Higgins by no means used the phrase ‘rape’ of their conversations. 

Talking about The Mission interview, Ms Reynolds the claims in opposition to her harm’.

Mr Lehrmann recommended he could launch a legislation swimsuit for about $6million as a result of ‘I’ll by no means, ever work once more’

Linda Reynolds claims Brittany Higgins and Lisa Wilkinson (pictured collectively) set her up because the ‘excellent villain’ on The Mission, when the previous staffer first went public along with her rape allegations

‘It greater than harm, it fully devastated me, the allegations that have been aired about me, you can not consider something worse or a worse allegation of any lady that you simply lined up the rape of a younger lady in your personal workplace.’ 

She mentioned it was worse as a result of, whereas Mr Lehrmann was fired after the safety breach, she gave Ms Higgins one other probability.

‘Brittany noticed that and he or she went in afterwards and he or she was fairly rightfully involved about her job.

‘We made it clear she had achieved the mistaken factor but when she needed to maintain her job she may.

‘I completely gave her a second probability. She was brilliant eager, politically conscious, precisely the particular person we needed right here.’

Ms Reynolds additionally referred to a recorded dialog between Ms Higgins, her now-fiancé David Sharaz, Wilkinson, and Channel 10 producer Angus Llewellynin January 2021 – about two weeks earlier than the The Mission episode went to air. 

Throughout that five-hour chat, Wilkinson unleashed on Ms Reynolds – referring to her as ‘that f***ing lady’ and browse their personal exchanges aloud.

Ms Reynolds mentioned: ‘A girl I’ve by no means met … The place does that hatred come from? It is visceral … I’ve by no means met Lisa.’

$6million legislation swimsuit

Mr Lehrmann additionally mentioned he is contemplating additional authorized motion after the fallout of the trial – which could possibly be value about $6million.

‘It must be a multimillion-dollar declare as a result of I’ve to think about I could by no means work once more,’ he mentioned.

‘After being smeared and slammed for the final two or three years now.

CCTV picture reveals Bruce Lehrmann and Brittany Higgins coming into Ms Reynolds workplace on the evening in query

‘I’m harmless. If we have been capable of have a good trial and a trial in any respect, I am totally assured it could have … rendered a not-guilty verdict for me.’

He would not say the precise quantity he can be after however, when host Liam Bartlett recommended about $6million, Mr Lehrmann responded: ‘Yeah.’

Mr Lehrmann is at present in suing Channel 10, Lisa Wilkinson and the ABC in a joint defamation declare, which he mentioned he is ‘not backing down’ on.

‘Did not get a good trial’ 

Mr Lehrmann’s defence lawyer Steven Whybrow was additionally interviewed, and primarily spoke concerning the conduct of the ACT Direcor of Public Prosecutions, Shane Drumgold.

The Highlight interview comes virtually per week after the findings of a Board of Inquiry was handed down by the ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr – within the type of a prolonged report comprising virtually 900 pages.

The inquiry, chaired by former choose Walter Sofronoff, appeared into the best way his trial within the ACT Supreme Courtroom in October final yr was dealt with by police and Mr Drumgold.

Mr Sofronoff discovered the chief prosecutor ‘knowingly lied’ to the Supreme Courtroom Chief Justice and had ‘misplaced objectivity and didn’t act with equity and detachment as was required by his function’. 

The ACT Director of Public Prosecutions, Shane Drumgold (pictured throughout the trial), has resigned

Mr Drumgold resigned because the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions final week after the inquiry into the dealing with of Mr Lehrmann’s rape trial made a number of hostile findings in opposition to him, which he has refuted. 

Mr Whybrow mentioned he believes his consumer didn’t get a good trial, and says the Sofronoff report proved there was ‘a lack of objectivity’ within the case in opposition to his consumer.

‘In keeping with the Sofronoff Report, and my expertise, Bruce didn’t get a good trial,’ Mr Whybrow mentioned.

‘Issues occurred, there was an virtually, I do not know the right way to clarify it however we have been up in opposition to it from the beginning and this case … it was laborious.’

The lacking jacket 

Brittany Higgins is pictured on the evening she entered Parliament Home on March 23, 2019. She entered carrying a white costume

Brittany Higgins is pictured leaving Parliament Home at about 10am on March 23, 2019 – carrying Senator Reynolds’ Carla Zampatti jacket

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

Ms Higgins beforehand instructed a court docket she acquired it from a charity bin within the minister’s workplace, which Ms Reynolds on Sunday mentioned ‘made me giggle’.

‘I simply thought I would misplaced it, it wasn’t till Brittany wears it house the following morning,’ she mentioned.

‘It was claimed within the court docket case she’d gotten it from (a charity bin). And it made me giggle, that was my wardrobe.

‘I by no means acquired it again.’