Senator Linda Reynolds lashes out after corruption watchdog clears Brittany Higgins' $2million payout
Senator Linda Reynolds is 'bitterly disappointed' by a watchdog's finding there was no corruption associated with a $2.4million compensation payout to former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins.
Ms Higgins reached the agreement with the Commonwealth in December 2022 after her alleged rape in Parliament House in 2019, while she was working in Senator Reynolds' office.
The settlement was referred to the National Anti-Corruption Commission by Senator Reynolds, who questioned the handling of the process by then-attorney-general Mark Dreyfus.
'I am bitterly disappointed by the NACC's decision not to investigate the circumstances surrounding the Commonwealth's multi-million dollar settlement with Ms Higgins,' Senator Reynolds said in a statement on Thursday.
The senator claimed she had been given 'no opportunity to defend the serious and baseless claims against me' during a mediation process.
'I fail to understand how the Commonwealth and its lawyers could not appreciate the serious and probable consequences of settling such serious allegations on my behalf... and the message that it would send to the public about the truth of those matters,' she said.
Senator Reynolds said it was one of the issues her Federal Court lawsuit against the Commonwealth over the settlement would explore.
The commission found 'no corruption issue' with Ms Higgins' payout following an investigation.
'No corruption issue arises, and so there is no basis for any further action by the commission,' the watchdog said in a statement.
'There was no inappropriate intervention in the process by or on behalf of any minister.
'The then-attorney-general approved the settlement in accordance with the departmental advice.
'Documents produced showed that decisions made in relation to the settlement were based on advice from independent external solicitors and experienced senior and junior counsel.'
The commission said there was 'no material difference' in the legal advice surrounding the payment during the term of the former coalition government and the current Labor government.
The agreement of the settlement amount within one day during mediation was not unusual.
'It was the culmination of a process which took approximately 12 months. None of this is unusual for a non-litigated personal injury claim,' the commission said.
'A critical consideration during the settlement process was avoiding ongoing trauma to Ms Higgins.'
Ms Higgins alleged she was raped by Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann in a Parliament House office in 2019.
Lehrmann has always denied the allegations.
Charges were brought against Lehrmann in a criminal trial in 2022, but were abandoned after juror misconduct.
A retrial was ruled out because of the potential effect on the mental health of Ms Higgins.
A defamation trial brought on by Lehrmann found that on the balance of probabilities he had raped Ms Higgins.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
34 minutes ago
- Reuters
US denies offering Mexico tariff relief in exchange for probing high-level politicians
WASHINGTON, June 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department on Friday denied that the U.S. offered Mexico tariff relief in exchange for investigating high-level politicians. "The United States and Mexico continue to work together to combat cartels and the corrupt actors that enable them," the department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs said in a post on X.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
The longest-serving legislative leader in US history will be sentenced on corruption charges
Michael Madigan's stunning political collapse will culminate Friday when the longest-serving legislative leader in U.S. history is sentenced on federal bribery, conspiracy and wire fraud convictions tied to a scheme to push legislation in exchange for jobs and contracts for his associates. The former Illinois House speaker was convicted in February on 10 of 23 counts in a remarkable corruption trial that lasted four months. The case churned through 60 witnesses and mountains of documents, photographs and taped conversations. Madigan was in court Friday afternoon before U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey, who will determine his sentence. Federal prosecutors are seeking a 12 1/2-year prison term. Madigan's attorneys are seeking probation, contending the government's sentence would 'condemn an 83-year-old man to die behind bars for crimes that enriched him not one penny.' During a legislative career that spanned a half-century, Madigan served nearly four decades as speaker, the longest on record for a U.S. legislator. Combined with more than 20 years as chairperson of the Illinois Democratic Party, he set much of the state's political agenda while handpicking candidates for political office. More often than not, he also controlled political mapmaking, drawing lines to favor his party. Meanwhile, prosecutors said, the Chicago Democrat built a private legal career that allowed him to amass a net worth of $40 million. Madigan was convicted on 10 counts of bribery, conspiracy, wire fraud and other charges for ensuring approval of legislation favorable to utility giant ComEd in exchange for kickbacks and jobs and contracts for loyalists, including a Chicago alderman seeking a paid job on a state board after retiring from government. The jury deadlocked on six counts, including an overarching racketeering conspiracy charge, and acquitted him on seven others. 'Madigan's criminal activity spanned nearly a decade and was particularly egregious because it involved efforts to enrich himself — both by maintaining his political power by securing do-nothing jobs for his political allies and by attempting to line his own pockets with legal business,' prosecutors wrote in a court filing. 'In so doing, Madigan served his own personal interests and not the interests of Illinoisans.' Defense lawyers called the government's recommended sentence 'draconian' and, given Madigan's age, a life sentence. They asked Blakey to consider the totality of Madigan's life and work and the need to care for his wife in requesting a sentence of five years' probation, with one year of home confinement, a requirement to perform community service and a 'reasonable fine.' In a video submitted to the court, Madigan's wife, Shirley, asks for a sentence of probation, explaining that Madigan is her caregiver and she would have to seek outside help if he is imprisoned. And, she says, 'I'm a part of him.' 'There's some days I keep him going,' Shirley Madigan says on the video. 'He keeps me going sometimes, too, but I think that the impact that I have on him has been much, much larger.' The court received more than 200 letters of support for Madigan, many from constituents, friends, leaders of nonprofits and other organizations that interact with the state. Some noted asking him for help just once. Most lauded him for dedication, integrity or a personal touch. 'Mike Madigan is a good man who has selflessly done an exceptional amount of good for others,' his lawyers wrote in a separate filing. 'He is widely respected for his dedication to honesty and integrity.' Tried alongside Madigan was his former legislative colleague and longtime confidant, Michael McClain. The jury couldn't reach a decision on any of the six counts against McClain. He was convicted, though, in a separate trial over the ComEd conspiracy last year.
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Inside ‘hedonistic' downfall of plumber whose £11m lottery jackpot cost him his life after blowing fortune in 3 years
LOTTERY winner Joshua Winslet was found dead in his home after his £11million prize caused his life to spiral out of control. The Australian plumber was just 22 years old when he landed the fortune in 2017, but he blew it all in just three years after he was crippled by addiction. 8 8 His parents tried to help him manage the eyewatering sum of cash by stashing it in a trust fund, but tragically, that wasn't enough to save him. In 2022, he died at home from health complications caused by excessive drug use. His death was not reported by New Zealand or Australian press at the time. His tragic end came shortly after he was arrested and sentenced to three years and nine months in prison for supplying drugs and possessing a firearm. A friend of Josh spoke of his death and told the MailOnline: "It was such a shock and absolutely devastating, but sadly a lot of us were so worried this is what it was coming to." Looking back at his lottery win, she said: "When I found out he won through the grapevine, I thought, 'Oh, wow, that's extraordinary.' "I was so happy for him. Out of everyone from our school, and after all the bullying he copped, he deserved it more than anyone," she added. Another said how he called her and her boyfriend to break the news of his Powerball winnings. She said that she initially thought he was joking, but after he sent her a screenshot of his Lotto app, she realised he was being serious. But how did the hardworking tradie's life take such a drastic turn? Josh was living on New Zealand's South Island at the time and had suffered severe bullying over his 'physical deformities' that were caused by Duane syndrome and Goldenhar syndrome. Duane syndrome stops the eye muscles from developing properly, which affects eye movement. Goldenhar syndrome causes abnormalities in the formation of the bones in the face and head. It can also cause spinal issues and benign cysts to form on the eye, as well as impacting internal organs. He'd had a string of surgeries as a child to treat the syndromes. Josh was also born with a singular horseshoe-shaped kidney and an irregular heartbeat, stopping him from playing contact sports. The torment inflicted on him by his peers was so severe that when he was in Year 10 he left school and studied at Adelaide University Senior College in South Australia. He studied for around six months before leaving to do a plumbing apprenticeship. When he was 20, he moved to New Zealand's South Island to look for work. Around this time, he used the last £9 ($19) in his bank account to buy a last-minute ticket for the Powerball draw and won £11million ($22milion). But the cash began to burn a hole in his pocket, and he soon started splashing it on a-class drugs. In 2020, cops raided the "party house" and found an unlicensed firearm Mauser handgun and ammunition hidden in his bathroom. A horde of illegal substances, including 28.3 grams of MDMA and 2.27g of cocaine, was also seized. Investigators received a tip-off the lottery winner was allegedly manufacturing drugs at the property. Josh, who was 27 at the time, pleaded guilty to supplying MDMA and possessing a firearm without a licence. He was sentenced to three years and nine months, with a non-parole period of 18 months. The sentence was suspended on a two-year good behaviour bond, with supervision. Shocking images released by South Australia's District Court showed the inside of his trashed New Port mansion at the time. Empty bottles of booze, bongs, bags of MDMA, cocaine and marijuana appeared to be littered around the bachelor pad. Nitrous oxide canisters, cigarettes and half-drunk glasses of wine were also seen strewn across a marble table. Another snap showed a large bowl filled with a mystery white powder inside his fridge, alongside a pack of Red Bull cans and beer boxes. Chaotic jumbles of rubbish and clothes were left dumped on the floor in an "appalling" state. Judge Heath Barklay said that Josh had "lost motivation" for life and had adopted a "hedonistic lifestyle". He said: "Because of the money that you had won, there was no motivation on your part to work or do anything other than enjoy yourself. "You had lots of money so you could afford to buy large amounts of drugs, which you would use yourself and supply to your so-called friends from time to time." 8 8 8 8 8 8
