Ten wildest texts from Higgins’ husband

Hundreds of text messages between Brittany Higgins’ husband, David Sharaz, and the journalist who broke the story of her rape in parliament have been released.

The messages, released as part of Linda Reynolds’ defamation trial, chronicle months of exchanges between Mr Sharaz and News.com.au journalist Samantha Maiden.

Beginning in January 2021 with back-and-forth messaging about the airing of the allegations, the texts canvas behind-the-scenes reaction to the political and media fallout.

The messages also reveal paranoia from Mr Sharaz about the government’s response to the allegations, including claims they had “outsourced bots” to attack him online.

‘Will it make a splash’

After weeks of back-and-forth about timing of Ms Higgins’ allegations, Mr Sharaz expressed concerns to Ms Maiden on January 29 about whether it was worth doing.

• January 29, 2021 – 12:56pm Mr Sharaz: Journalistically … do you think this will make a splash or will it be one story and no follow up. Is it worth her doing this?
• Ultimately … she just wants it to not happen again.
• It’s quite pure a motive.
• January 29, 2021 – 12:56pm Ms Maiden: Yes, it’s worth her doing it. Yes, it will get (followed) up.
• January 29, 2021 – 12:57pm Mr Sharaz: That will help.

Sharaz not Higgins’ ‘agent’

Later that day, Ms Maiden told Mr Sharaz the “number one thing is where you can you need to step back” after he admitted he didn’t “want to pressure” Ms Higgins on timing.

• January 29, 2021 – 3:42pm Ms Maiden: I don’t want her to feel you’re pressuring her into rushing things or bringing forward things.
• January 29, 2021 – 3:42pm Mr Sharaz: Yeah
• That’s fine
• January 29, 2021 – 3:43pm Ms Maiden: Like, I know you called The Project but is that what she wants? To bring it forward
• I’m happy to but I would caution you against acting as some sort of agent and deciding that for her because it’s piling on the pressure does that make sense if you understand?
• That creates problems it doesn’t solve them I think she’s a bit stressed about (The) Project interview
• I think as far as you can just stand back and support her – ringing Project (and) all that and bringing forward interview it worries me it will put a lot of pressure on her. If it’s her idea that’s fine. If it’s your idea I don’t think you should ring Project next time you don’t need to manage it
• January 29, 2021 – 3:45pm Mr Sharaz: I’m not her agent. I’m her partner. I’m in a weird space about leaving her alone and not letting her feel she’s gotta do it all. But I’ve never been in this situation before and I don’t want to fuck it up.
• But you’re right

‘It all looks planned’

After telling Ms Maiden a few days prior that Prime Ministers Office, or PMO, were allegedly briefed that he was “disgruntled” and had “started this”, Mr Sharaz admitted they “hate us”.

• February 19, 2021 – 3:24pm Mr Sharaz: I can see why PMO hate us. It all looks planned ha.

Questions about payout

The following day, Mr Sharaz told Ms Maiden a payout would look like Ms Higgins was “bought off” – she ultimately received more than $2.4m in compensation from the government.

• February 20, 2021 – 9:47pm: Mr Sharaz: … I mean, she’s out of a job and there is zero chance she can accept a government payout without looking bought off. So honestly … idk ha

Regret over airing allegations

As political fallout from the airing of Ms Higgins’ allegations continued to mount, Mr Sharaz in late-February admitted the couple regretted “all of this”.

• February 20, 2021 – 8:45pm Mr Sharaz: Britt and I are now regretting all of this.
• But oh well
• This is true
• February 20, 2021 – 8:45pm Ms Maiden: Really? Because of stream?
• February 20, 2021 – 8:45pm Mr Sharaz: Because the government seems to have gotten away with it all, and we’re both unemployed.
• February 20, 2021 – 8:46pm Ms Maiden: Do you think that because of Newspoll?
• If you want to deliver change to parliament all these inquiries that’s not nothing.
• February 20, 2021 – 8:46pm Mr Sharaz: I can just tell. He’s backing in Linda. They’re holding firm. They’ll announce Jobkeeper tomorrow.

Fears people would think Mr Sharaz ‘put her up to it’

Following the release an article quoting Mr Sharaz in saying the report by John Kunkel as an exercise in “PMO staffers protecting themselves”, the former journalist expressed fears about the media narrative.

• May 26, 2021 7:56pm Mr Sharaz: My biggest fear is the narrative that I put her up to it.
• We all know Britt. She can’t be told to do anything.
• I’m also not the genius PMO seem to believe I am. I actually don’t think they believe it. I do feel they hate me though.
• And being hated is a relatively new concept to live with.

Mr Sharaz feels like a ‘producer’

Mr Sharaz questioned the usefulness of his repeated messages in late-May, telling Ms Maiden he felt like her “producer” before sending a message from senior PMO adviser, Fiona Brown.

• May 27, 2021 – 3:04:57pm Mr Sharaz: Also, if these messages aren’t helpful just tell me. I feel like you producer ha.
• May 27, 2021 – 3:06pm Ms Maiden: I love them! But I don’t want to distract you from your actual job.

‘Bizarre interpretation of what happened’

After telling Ms Maiden that Ms Higgins was upset about what he described as a failure to call out “a government attacking a rape victim” in June, the reporter encouraged Mr Sharaz to step back.

• June 1, 2021 – 7:39am Mr Sharaz: In her mind … she was belittled and they attempted to discredit her to journalists and no journalist is calling it out and confirming it anymore.
• She feels they got away with it.
• … She’s just hurt. She feels the gallery as a whole is protecting the wrong people. They – PMO media – undermined a rape victim and they got away with it. It’s a tough decision they put journalists in I get that. But they backgrounded against a rape victim. It all happened while Morrison was publicly backing Britt and saying she should be heard. It just hurts her. It’s not your fault. It’s just a shit situation.
• June 1, 2021 – 7:52am Ms Maiden: Also we’ve had this discussion before but they didn’t get away with anything.
• They got named in parliament! The last lines of Kunkel are very pointed. Thousands of people who support her think report a whitewash to.
• So the idea they got away with it it’s I think is the depression talking
• It’s a bizarre interpretation of what happened I think

Mr Sharaz claims government ‘outsourced bots’

In one of his more bizarre messages, Mr Sharaz told Ms Maiden he believed the then-government had “outsourced bots” to send hateful messages to him on Twitter.

• July 31, 2021 – 8:08pm Mr Sharaz: I’ve gotten it the whole way through. Same with me being called a rapist etc*the rapist. And that I look like him.
• Is it just bored people or the government. It’s so weird
• July 31, 021, 8:09pm] Ms Maiden: Nutters on Twitter – it’s good when they identify themselves block with vigour
• July 31, 2021 – 8:09pm Mr Sharaz: Yeah Good call
• July 31, 021, 8:09pm] Ms Maiden: Of course it’s not the government! Come on!
• July 31, 2021 – 8:10pm Mr Sharaz: I know for a fact they out sourced bots.
• Maybe they’re not doing it anymore but they did at the start of all this

Mr Sharaz says Ms Maiden ‘more trusting’ over government

Following a lengthy discussion about the release of documents from the Gaetjen review, Mr Sharaz remarked that he believed Ms Maiden was “more trusting” of the government then he was.

• August 30, 2021 – 8:16am Mr Sharaz: You are far more trusting of them than I am ha
• Oh well!
• August 30, 2021 – 8:17am Ms Maiden: It’s not about trust. It’s about commonsense. They would be very cautious about doing anything that could impact the trial.
• August 30, 2021 – 8:17am Mr Sharaz: I just don’t think that’s true. I don’t think they care or want justice for Britt. It’s messy for them.
• August 30, 2021 – 8:18am Ms Maiden: It’s not about emotion. It’s about legal advice. They just wouldn’t want to do anything given the matter is sub Judice
• …
• It’s got zero to do with silencing anyone – it’s actually trying to protect Brittany’s right to a trial that doesn’t collapse.
• August 30, 2021 – 8:20am Mr Sharaz: Britt quietly thinks she’s being cancelled but I’m telling her that’s not the case. I just think we have differing views on the government. I don’t want to sound like a crazy conspiracy theorist but given they have done all they can to keep it quiet for 2 years, I don’t think they’re morally sound.
• I don’t doubt for a second they’d lie and do all they can to get this out of the news, out of the courts and off the agenda. Call you soon? Unless you’re busy