trial

Tuesday September 12, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday September 12, 2017

Liberals enduring two scandal trials

Two Ontario Liberals went to trial last Thursday on Election Act bribery charges stemming from a 2015 byelection in Sudbury, but the stakes are also high for Premier Kathleen Wynne herself.

 

December 18, 2015

The Sudbury trial happens nearly simultaneously with another Liberal trial – related to the cancellation of two gas plants – which makes for terrible optics for the party. But while that second trial involves staffers for former premier Dalton McGuinty, the Sudbury scandal is one forged entirely under Wynne’s tenure.

The premier herself is set to testify on Sept. 13.

“Politically, it’s not good,” said Nadia Verrelli, an assistant political science professor at Sudbury’s Laurentian University.

Regardless of the outcome, it may focus the provincial election campaign – with a vote nine months away – on questions about the Liberals’ integrity rather than their policies, she said.

Pat Sorbara, at the time the Ontario Liberal Party CEO, faces two charges and Gerry Lougheed, a Sudbury Liberal fundraiser, faces one charge. They both deny wrongdoing.

September 29, 2015

In late 2014, the Sudbury riding became vacant when the New Democrat who won it five months earlier stepped down for health reasons. The Liberals had their eye on winning back a riding that until 2014 they held for about two decades.

Andrew Olivier, who was the Liberals’ candidate in the riding in the general election, wanted to run again, but Wynne had other ideas. She ended up successfully luring the riding’s NDP MP – Glenn Thibeault – to run for the provincial Liberals.

One of Sorbara’s charges relates to an allegation she promised to get Thibeault “an office or employment” to induce him to become a candidate, which both deny.

Sorbara and Lougheed are alleged to have offered Olivier a job or appointment in exchange for stepping aside for Thibeault, who was ultimately given the post of energy minister last year.

Wynne has said that she had already decided Olivier would not be the byelection candidate by the time Sorbara and Lougheed spoke to him, therefore anything offered was not in exchange for stepping aside. Rather, Wynne says, she was trying to keep him in the party fold. (Source: Global News) 

 

Friday April 22, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Friday April 22, 2016 Judge clears Mike Duffy of all charges A judge in an Ottawa court has cleared Senator Mike Duffy of all 31 criminal charges and delivered a scathing indictment of the political operations of the office of former prime minister Stephen Harper. He called the actions of the Prime Minister's Office under Harper "mind-boggling and shocking.Ó Justice Charles Vaillancourt said Harper's former chief of staff Nigel Wright and other PMO staff executed operations with a precision that would make any military commander proud, all with the objective of containing political damage. Duffy was another "piece on the chess board," and the unwilling partner in a scheme to cover $90,000 in expenses, even though they were likely legitimate, Vaillancourt said. "Could Hollywood match their creativity?" he asked. Vaillancourt called the senator a "credible witness" and said the Crown failed to prove the case on any of the 31 charges of fraud, bribery and breach of trust. While some of the actions might be seen as "unorthodox," they were not criminal, he ruled. Duffy's lawyer Donald Bayne said the "vindication" should cause those who rushed to judgment like a "political herd" to give serious thought about their actions. "Political figures, public figures are also entitled to due process," he said. "Senator Duffy has been subjected in the last two-and-a-half, three years to more public humiliation than probably any other Canadian in history," he said. Vaillancourt said Duffy's travel claims had no financial or "sinister" motive and no "criminal intent," the judge said. He also concluded that payments made for third-party services funnelled through his friend Gerald Donohue to pay for editorial services, makeup and fitness training were "appropriate." And he said there was no evidence of kickbacks or altered invoices. (Source: CBC News) http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/mike-duffy-trial-rulings-fraud-

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday April 22, 2016

Judge clears Mike Duffy of all charges

A judge in an Ottawa court has cleared Senator Mike Duffy of all 31 criminal charges and delivered a scathing indictment of the political operations of the office of former prime minister Stephen Harper.

He called the actions of the Prime Minister’s Office under Harper “mind-boggling and shocking.”

Justice Charles Vaillancourt said Harper’s former chief of staff Nigel Wright and other PMO staff executed operations with a precision that would make any military commander proud, all with the objective of containing political damage.

 

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Duffy was another “piece on the chess board,” and the unwilling partner in a scheme to cover $90,000 in expenses, even though they were likely legitimate, Vaillancourt said.

“Could Hollywood match their creativity?” he asked.

Vaillancourt called the senator a “credible witness” and said the Crown failed to prove the case on any of the 31 charges of fraud, bribery and breach of trust.

While some of the actions might be seen as “unorthodox,” they were not criminal, he ruled.

Duffy’s lawyer Donald Bayne said the “vindication” should cause those who rushed to judgment like a “political herd” to give serious thought about their actions.

“Political figures, public figures are also entitled to due process,” he said. “Senator Duffy has been subjected in the last two-and-a-half, three years to more public humiliation than probably any other Canadian in history,” he said.

Vaillancourt said Duffy’s travel claims had no financial or “sinister” motive and no “criminal intent,” the judge said.

He also concluded that payments made for third-party services funnelled through his friend Gerald Donohue to pay for editorial services, makeup and fitness training were “appropriate.” And he said there was no evidence of kickbacks or altered invoices. (Source: CBC News)

 

Posted to iPolitics

Wednesday August 19, 2015

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Wednesday August 19, 2015 The back and forth continues at the Mike Duffy Trial As the leaders of CanadaÕs three main political parties continue on their respective campaign trails, Stephen HarperÕs former chief of staff and the lawyer for disgraced senator Mike Duffy were expected to continue their sparring in an Ottawa courtroom on Tuesday. Duffy, who was appointed to the Senate in 2008 by Harper, has pleaded not guilty to 31 charges in connection with his Senate office, living and travel expenses. DuffyÕs lawyer, Donald Bayne, spent much of Monday trying to show that it was not Duffy who demanded money and set conditions to rectify the matter but the Prime MinisterÕs Office. Kerry Kolodiazny, a member of the public following the trial, left, uses his laptop to film himself with Nigel Wright, as he leaves the courthouse in Ottawa on Monday. We see Kolodiazy dressed in a flowered sports coat right out of the 1960s with a hat to match, holding his computer as he leans in to address Mr. Wright, who, as usual, is dressed in a fancy, dark suit and tie. Mr. Wright is smiling broadly. Bayne pressed Nigel Wright, who served as Prime Minister HarperÕs chief of staff from 2010 to 2013, to explain a ÒscenarioÓ co-ordinated between top aides in HarperÕs office and Duffy that included having the senator publicly admit he made a mistake with his expenses and promise to repay them. The initial plan was to have the party cover the bill, as well as DuffyÕs legal expenses and Wright has said he told Harper shortly afterward that Duffy would repay the expenses. Wright wound up writing a $90,000 cheque to Duffy to cover the expenses, telling several people in HarperÕs office as well as some Conservative Party leaders. Wright repeated that he never told Harper about the check. Meanwhile, the campaigns roll on. (Source: Radio Canada) http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/08/18/the-back-and-forth-continues-at-the-mike-duff

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday August 19, 2015

The back and forth continues at the Mike Duffy Trial

As the leaders of Canada’s three main political parties continue on their respective campaign trails, Stephen Harper’s former chief of staff and the lawyer for disgraced senator Mike Duffy were expected to continue their sparring in an Ottawa courtroom on Tuesday.

Duffy, who was appointed to the Senate in 2008 by Harper, has pleaded not guilty to 31 charges in connection with his Senate office, living and travel expenses.

Duffy’s lawyer, Donald Bayne, spent much of Monday trying to show that it was not Duffy who demanded money and set conditions to rectify the matter but the Prime Minister’s Office.

Kerry Kolodiazny, a member of the public following the trial, left, uses his laptop to film himself with Nigel Wright, as he leaves the courthouse in Ottawa on Monday. We see Kolodiazy dressed in a flowered sports coat right out of the 1960s with a hat to match, holding his computer as he leans in to address Mr. Wright, who, as usual, is dressed in a fancy, dark suit and tie. Mr. Wright is smiling broadly.

2011-2015

2011-2015

Bayne pressed Nigel Wright, who served as Prime Minister Harper’s chief of staff from 2010 to 2013, to explain a “scenario” co-ordinated between top aides in Harper’s office and Duffy that included having the senator publicly admit he made a mistake with his expenses and promise to repay them.

The initial plan was to have the party cover the bill, as well as Duffy’s legal expenses and Wright has said he told Harper shortly afterward that Duffy would repay the expenses.

Wright wound up writing a $90,000 cheque to Duffy to cover the expenses, telling several people in Harper’s office as well as some Conservative Party leaders.

Wright repeated that he never told Harper about the check.

Meanwhile, the campaigns roll on. (Source: Radio Canada)

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Wednesday April 8, 2015

Wednesday April 8, 2015Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday April 8, 2015

It’s not just Duffy – the Harper era is on trial

In the court of public opinion, Senator Mike Duffy may have already been found guilty. That verdict could well be shown wrong. Rules governing Senate housing expenses are vague, and Mr. Duffy has a crackerjack lawyer in Don Bayne.

Of course, it’s not the fate of Mr. Duffy that has created enormous interest in this trial. It’s the fate of the government. It is the morality, the integrity of the Conservative Party hierarchy, that is on trial.

Most of the accusations facing Mr. Duffy himself involve alleged little embezzlements relating to expense accounts. But abuse of the public trust by way of an alleged coverup operation involving top officials in the Prime Minister’s Office, as Mr. Duffy’s team claim, is much more serious.

It may well be shown that Prime Minister Stephen Harper didn’t know about the $90,000 payout to Mr. Duffy by former chief of staff Nigel Wright. But we know from an RCMP affidavit that many of his senior officials knew. Mr. Harper could try to claim he is not responsible for their actions, but that tactic is unlikely to succeed politically. When former prime minister Jean Chrétien faced accusations around the sponsorship scandal, it was never shown that he had personal knowledge of Montreal ad agency men running off with monies from that program. But that didn’t save the Liberals from damaging consequences.

More serious for the Conservatives is that the Senate scandal might reopen the vault on the larger abuse-of-power narrative that has dogged the Harper government. It may be seen as a microcosm of the serial breaches of the public trust: the undercover dirty tricks, the smear campaigns against opponents, the altering of official documents, the democracy-shredding omnibus bills.

If you wanted to go into detail, you could fill an entire page of news print with the ethical transgressions of this government that have undermined the democratic process.

They’ve become so common they hardly make news any more. A recent example is Bill C-51, the new and widely condemned security legislation that interferes with Canadians’ privacy. What did the Conservatives do? (Continued, Globe & Mail)

Posted to Yahoo Canada News

Mike Duffy refresher

Iced Camembert Photo MontageThe Senate Expenses Saga

A cartoon refresher on Senate silliness as Mike Duffy goes to trial. Senate Sloths to Pamela Wallin pillows to Patrick Brazeau living off reserve(d caviar), to Mike Duffy’s Peruvian love child, to Nigel Wright’s deep pockets, to Stephen Harper just wanting it all to go away.

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