Australia’s Attorney-General Christian Porter has launched defamation action against the ABC and journalist Louise Milligan. Porter has offered to give evidence under oath and challenged the public broadcaster to run a truth defence. He is suing the public broadcaster for publishing “false accusations” against him in an online story that claimed he was the subject of historical rape allegations. The legal action is also aimed at a report aired in November that alleged he was a misogynist and sexist. His lawyers have accused the ABC of running a trial by media and Milligan of acting with malice, damaging Porter’s reputation. “If the ABC and Ms Milligan wish to argue the truth of the allegations, they can do so in these proceedings,” lawyer Rebekah Giles said in a statement on Monday. “Under the Defamation Act, it is open for the ABC and Ms Milligan to plead truth in their defence to …