Former Seven West employee and one-time mistress of CEO Tim Worner, Amber Harrison’s, concerted social media campaign against the network over the past 10 days is designed to pressure the Seven board ahead of its annual results briefings this Wednesday.
Harrison, who was made redundant after her affair with Worner, has used social media over the past 10 days to release personal letters and company emails designed to discredit the Seven board.
According to an editorial by Aaron Patrick in today’s Australian Financial Review, Harrison claims Seven wanted Harrison gone as her continued employment had become “uncomfortable” for Worner.
As has been widely reported, Harrison’s alleged misuse of company credit cards was said to be the reason for her termination, however, according to The AFR the 39-year-old claims she was the only one who was investigated while the entire company had, in Harrison’s own words, a “fast and loose credit card environment”.
On her Twitter account today, Harrison has released part of a statement that read: “I have admitted my flaws and expressed my regret for what I did. But what (Seven’s commercial director ) Mr McWilliam and the army of shareholder funded lawyers continue to put me through has been despicable, excessive and cruel. The punishment far outweighs any crime you believe I committed.”
The Twitter account also reveals she is now being followed by Seven board member, Jeff Kennett, who Harrison replied back with, “Ready to talk privately whenever you are”.
Harrison was paid $350,000 termination (Worner reportedly chipping in $100,000 of his own money) but apparently wanted as much as $2million. Seven has subsequently waged a vicious legal war against her “designed to exhaust her financially”. This follows on from an independent enquiry by the Network that found Worner had no case to answer in relation to Harrison’s allegations he slept with multiple women at the network and had used cocaine.
According to Patrick’s AFR article, Harrison – who hasn’t worked since being terminated – has blown most of her payout on legal fees and her last remaining option is to try embarrass the Seven board for what she believes is a cover-up. “She wants Seven shareholders to know how much was spent on her legal and public relations dispute with the company and highlight institutionalised sexism,” the article claimed. “Releasing information each day on Twitter is designed to encourage or pressure the Seven board into acting.”
Worner will reportedly present Seven West Media’s annual results this Wednesday to a room that will include a large number of journalists. This will be the first time he has fronted the media since news of the affair was made public just before Christmas last year.
