You may recall how Australian lawyer Adam Houda is suing Andrew Bolt, Danica De Giorgio, and Sky News Australia over what he called “a defamatory story they ran about [him]..calling [him] a “Jew hater”. And despite threatening to join me to the proceedings – for a post of mine speculating why they might think Adam Houda is a Jew-hater – I was never afforded the honor.
Houda has not let his litigation get in the way of posting more things that might lead people to conclude he is a Jew-hater, as I pointed out again at the beginning of this year. And with the trial scheduled for early next year, Houda seems confident of victory.
Which might also explain why he has retweeted infamous antisemite Lucas Gage aka Angelo John Gage:
Speaking about dogs..
A high-profile criminal lawyer texted his new intern “I want to put you in the doggy position”, then tried to cover it up over concerns for his standing in the Muslim community when she sued him.
Adam Houda has strenuously denied any wrongdoing since his former intern Hana Seraphim claimed she was sexually harassed and victimised while she was an intern at Mr Houda’s Sydney firm Lawyers Corp.
The Daily Telegraph can now reveal the private texts that provoked an application by Mr Houda, 49, to have the case suppressed in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal, as well as a subsequent appeal of that decision which were both defeated.
In an initial hearing to determine whether the substantive proceedings should occur behind closed doors, Mr Houda contended he and Ms Seraphim had a consensual, sexual relationship during the subject period.
Mr Houda’s counsel Christopher Parkin said in October a host of sexually explicit texts between Mr Houda and Ms Seraphim would cause embarrassment, and potential harm to his standing in the Arabic and Islamic communities in Sydney and his business.
Mr Parkin highlighted one text Mr Houda sent to Ms Seraphim on December 2, 2020, which stated: “I want to put you in the doggy position.”
Days later, he asked: “What’s your favourite way to get it?”
“This is communication of a highly sexually explicit nature made in a private relationship where he would not expect this to be shared and released, let alone with the public at large …(there will be) an impact of this on his relationship with his daughters,” Mr Parkin said.
“No daughter should have to read this about their father.”
Mr Houda also contended he had fears for his safety if these matters became public because his clients – who he described as “serious criminals” with bikie gang affiliations – knew Ms Seraphim due to their previous engagement with her in a sex work context.
“These are communications made between two people who were in a consensual, sexual relationship,” Mr Parkin told the tribunal.
“This is the kind of thing, if publicised, would reverberate quite negatively throughout the Arabic and Islamic community, who are a significant source of referrals for his firm – the potential for damage to income is far and above in excess of what it might be if it was allegations of this kind.”
Mr Houda gave oral evidence about the “notorious bikie gang, very serious criminals” he had once represented who contacted him when Ms Seraphim appeared in court with counsel he had instructed in their case.
“My client said the lady is a prostitute we use from time to time, she does other things like organise girls for their parties, involved in the sharing of prohibited drugs, and other matters,” Mr Houda said of Ms Seraphim.
“I said, are you sure you’ve got the right person, she’s a legal student, she comes from the suburbs – I was shocked.
It is not entirely clear to me whether Houda made his canine proposal to her before or after discovering she had been a sex worker. I suspect he has such things on his mind a fair bit anyway.
Meanwhile, I will be following both cases closely. You could say like a dog with a bone.
