Senator Pamela Wallin claims a leaky Senate subcommittee was part of a concerted effort to cast her conduct “in the worst possible light” during an ongoing investigation into her expenses.
And the former journalist kept close tabs on what she calls “targeted leaks” to a handful of media organizations.
Several subcommittee members agree there were leaks. But they swear they weren’t behind them.
Wallin’s office released a six-page document Thursday that outlines in detail 16 instances in which Wallin claims leaks occurred during the investigation into her expenses.
“In each and every situation it is clear that the source cited has had access to information from the Senate Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets, and Administration and, in particular, the Audit Subcommittee,” says the document, prepared by Wallin’s lawyer Terrence O’Sullivan.
Subcommittee members were Conservatives David Tkachuk and Carolyn Stewart Olsen, and Liberal George Furey. Conservative Senator Gerald Comeau replaced Tkachuk when Tkachuk resigned on June 11.
In her statement to the Senate Wednesday, Wallin said she believes the leaks were orchestrated “in large measure by Senators LeBreton and Stewart-Olsen.”
“They were targeted leaks, many of them incorrect, designed to cast my conduct in the worst possible light,” Wallin told the chamber.
“They were personal and vindictive – and violated all the rules of this place.”
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She alleges the leaks were made to various media between Feb. 12 to June 26.
They include details about Wallin’s hundreds of thousands in travel expenses, her expulsion from caucus and that the committee had been “warned” about Wallin months for the audit. (See chart below).
Wallin said the leaks and the proceeding against her, which she says leaves her without an opportunity to defend herself, comprise “backroom politics of the most odious kind.”
Global News reached out to Comeau, Furey, former subcommittee members Stewart Olsen and Tkachuk, and former government Senate leader Marjory LeBreton.
Furey and Comeau did not respond.
“Not me,” Tkachuck wrote in an email.
“I have my suspicion. Not proof. It was very difficult to do business with all the leaks I assure you. I do not believe it came from our side.”
He added, “I hope you are asking the ones who benefited the most politically from the leaks, the Liberals.”
LeBreton also denied it.
“Of course not! Why don’t you ask the Liberal Member of the Sub-Committee? As I said, I was not privy to any of her documents – NONE – it would be rather difficult to leak non-information. Let’s get serious here – Why would Carolyn (Stewart Olsen) or I leak information and harm the (Prime Minister). Ridiculous!” she wrote.
Stewart Olsen said the members “were very concerned by the ongoing leaks of private information.”
“In fact the Chair raised this issue before full committee several times and cautioned all members to respect confidentiality of the process. It was not possible to ascertain the source of leaks but perhaps you could persuade your colleagues to share their source. Your question may be best posed to all members of the committee. I would never leak information and do not believe any of our members did so.”
In a May 24 letter, O’Sullivan also asked Tkachuk to investigate the circumstances surrounding the leaks and report back to the chamber.
It never happened.
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