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Back to the Federal Court in Sydney, where former Seven producer Taylor Auerbach is giving evidence in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case against Network Ten and high-profile presenter Lisa Wilkinson.

Under cross-examination by Lehrmann’s barrister, Matthew Richardson, SC, Auerbach agreed he was so “mortified” and “ashamed” that he resigned from Seven on November 26, 2022, after he put thousands of dollars in charges on a corporate credit card for expenses he described in an email as having “nothing to do with work”.

His resignation was not accepted.

Auerbach has said in an affidavit that those charges, totalling more than $10,000, were for Thai masseuses for himself and Lehrmann, who were booked to attend his Elizabeth Bay home in the early hours of November 26.

“It was a personal matter. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t involving work,” he told the court.

“That morning was the worst morning of my life, probably, when I sent that email.”

Richardson put to him that it was seriously dishonest of him to use the corporate credit card for those expenses.

Auerbach said it was “wrong”.

But he said Seven “offered me a promotion … the following week” after this incident, as well as a pay rise.

Auerbach disagreed under cross-examination that he was willing to say anything “no matter how false” to harm Seven, but agreed he particularly hated former Spotlight producer Steve Jackson.

Asked if he blamed Jackson for the fact his contract at Seven was not renewed last year, Auerbach said: “In part.”

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