Corruption investigation into Bruce Lehrmann is dropped – after his home was raided over claims about secret documents about French submarines
Australia's National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has dropped its investigation into Bruce Lehrmann for allegedly misappropriating classified documents concerning French submarine contracts. The watchdog's officers raided his home and that of his former media minder John Macgowan in June 2024, seizing a blue Moleskine diary that the NACC claimed contained some of the most sensitive government material ever held in Australia. Lehrmann has consistently denied the allegations and has now condemned the investigation as a "colossal waste of taxpayer money".
The investigation centred on allegations that Lehrmann stole secret documents from his former boss, Defence Industry Minister Linda Reynolds, in 2019. The documents first surfaced during Lehrmann's 2022 rape trial, when he claimed he was working on Question Time briefs about French submarine contracts rather than assaulting his colleague Brittany Higgins. A court later found on the balance of probabilities that Lehrmann had raped Higgins and rejected his claim about the submarine documents. The NACC has now informed Lehrmann and Macgowan that the investigation has concluded with no further action to be taken.
- NACC drops investigation into alleged theft of classified French submarine documents
- Blue Moleskine diary seized in June 2024 raids claimed to contain highly sensitive material
- Lehrmann calls investigation a colossal waste and demands NACC be abolished
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Bruce Lehrmann was a political adviser to Defence Industry Minister Linda Reynolds. He is alleged to have stolen classified documents about French submarine contracts from his employer in 2019.
The alleged theft became central to Lehrmann's 2022 rape trial when he claimed he was working on the submarine contracts rather than assaulting his colleague Brittany Higgins. A court found that Lehrmann had raped Higgins and rejected his claims about the documents.
Australia's National Anti-Corruption Commission investigated whether Lehrmann had misappropriated classified government documents. The watchdog launched raids in June 2024 on his home and that of his former media adviser John Macgowan, seeking sensitive documents about French submarine contracts.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Allegations concerning the misappropriation of highly classified defence documents require serious investigation by appropriate authorities, irrespective of whether prosecution ultimately results. The NACC could not have determined in advance whether the documents were genuinely held improperly without conducting thorough inquiry; such investigation is a standard and necessary function of government oversight in matters touching national security. That the investigation concluded without charges indicates proper due process, not unjustified initial action.
The case against
The investigation's conclusion—no charges, no prosecution—undermines confidence in the original allegations' substance. Lehrmann consistently denied the accusations from the outset, and the documents emerged during a highly adversarial legal dispute over entirely separate matters, suggesting the claims may have been opportunistic rather than grounded in genuine security concerns. When investigations conclude with nothing to prosecute, significant scrutiny and disruptive measures like home raids appear to represent wasteful misallocation of resources.