Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

Nearing midday in Guergis

by Aaron Wherry on Thursday, April 15, 2010 11:22am - 45 Comments

The Star adds a Belizean tax haven to the allegations. Ms. Guergis’ lawyer issues a statement denying the allegations with vigour. And CTV is apparently reporting that the private investigator first offered to tell the Liberals.

Tags: Derek Snowdy, Helena Guergis, Howard Rubel, Rahim Jaffer

More by Aaron Wherry

http://intensedebate.com/people/Tceh Tceh

Harper did NOT request an investigation from the ethic commissioner according to the CBC. PM is saying one thing and doing another.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/04/15/guergis…

wilson

Harper has ALWAYS said 'the allegations were forwarded to..'
the media and Liberals misinterpreted what Harper said, and jumped to conclusions, as usual.

MacLean's Regular

"the media and Liberals misinterpreted what Harper said."

I love how you celebrate Harper's lack of clarity and accuracy.

That's how the sleazy do it, folks.

http://intensedebate.com/people/sourstud sourstud

He let the appropriate authorities know of the allegations. What else should he do? Pronounce them guilty? The media simply assumed they deserved investigating, which so far they have not.

http://intensedebate.com/people/WDM WDM

So much for the PI being a "commited Conservative".

…wait..maybe people mistook what commited meant

Dot

Snowdy said he had previously tried to pass on some of this information to the police, both to the Ontario Provincial Police and the RCMP. Snowdy will not say when he did this or to whom he spoke.

Obviously, he must feel that his client's cause is better served by having this go public. And given past inaction, perhaps he felt it may have also been buried if he didn't try other channels. Good for the Liberals for refusing to meet with him.

wilson

And good on the PM for NOT being bullied into a 'tell all' by Iffy and others in the House.

http://intensedebate.com/people/PolJunkie PolJunkie

WDM, isn't there some sort of confidentiality agreement involved in those sorts of transactions? If the P.I. is talking, it is likely because he was given permission or even ordered to.

Then again… I've never hired a P.I. so who knows?

http://intensedebate.com/people/WDM WDM

Sadly, I too have gone all my years on earth without needing a PI to investigate the nefarious deeds of others. I wonder what Gurmant Grewal is up to these days…
http://intensedebate.com/people/tobyornotoby tobyornotoby

I'm thinking PI's don't necessarily go to jail or take a bullet to protect their clients in real life either.

http://intensedebate.com/people/PolJunkie PolJunkie

Doesn't sound to me like the P.I. was threatened. It very much sounds to me like he's been trying to sell this story to a lot of people.

wilson

Maybe tha't's where the Conservative supporter message comes in,
he smelled a set up…..so went public…..? ?????

http://intensedebate.com/people/PolJunkie PolJunkie

So… What if this Magnum PI dude is completely off with his allegations? What if the RCMP finds nothing on Guerguis? What will Harper do then? After all, he said that he kicked her out of cabinet/caucus because of these allegations, right?

If Guergis is in fact innocent of all charges (except one of annoying diva-ness syndrome), won't it look bizarre if he doesn't bring her back into the fold?

MacLean's Regular

"What if this Magnum PI dude is completely off with his allegations?"

Then I'll make a point of repeating them for years and years. I've gone 'bot.

http://intensedebate.com/people/PolJunkie PolJunkie

I've just read Kady's blog on this and it seems as though Harper literally obliterated Guergis' career over what this P.I. claimed.

No wonder Harper has refused to tell anyone what prompted him to slap down Guergis in such a manner. He has no proof whatsoever. The P.I. could have been lied to by the Nazalli guy or worse, the P.I. himself could have embellished the story.

I'm no Guergis fan but this is ridiculous. The only thing that we know for certain is that Jaffer snorts coke, drinks and drives, and that Guergis has temper tantrums. Everything else is hearsay from less than credible sources.

MacLean's Regular

Well, what do you expect? We're only midway through a story in which the existence or absence of evidence has not even been sufficiently examined.

The point I was trying to make with my previous comment is that it's up to the rest of us to determine just what impact this will have on Guergis's reputation when it's all said and done.
wilson

'Everything else is hearsay from less than credible sources.'
yes, but the media and every opposition party ran with it anyways,
even set up a committee to investigate further…………….

wilson

Then the dude who hired Magnum PI, the dude that wanted Iffy to hear the allegations first, will be the next to be investigated, or should be.

This smells very funny.

MacLean's Regular

Kind of like the funk that comes of your sleazy comments.

Buck up, Mr. PI Guy. The gun's turning on you.

wilson

I'm not thinking the PI has been disingenuous here.
MacLean's Regular

Whatever. I'm not examining your sleazy innuendo all that closely.
Gary

Pot, meet kettle!

http://intensedebate.com/people/moonvest moonvest

Unless he's doing this to drum up new business or cash in his 15 minutes, I have a hard time time believing he was offering this information to either party for free.

http://intensedebate.com/people/sourstud sourstud

Maybe the "blackmail" allegations refer to the PI? The Libs didn't return his call when he offered up dirt for cash, so he went to the Cons and let them buy the evidence, perhaps? If he had the photo's that allegedly exist, maybe thats what the Cons actually bought.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Open_Democracy Open_Democracy

Look at the semantics. Harper said he "referred" the matter to the ethics commissioner. He didn't say he "requested" that she do anything about it.

All's well in Disneyland North.

http://viableopposition.blogspot.com/

http://intensedebate.com/people/tobyornotoby tobyornotoby

Maybe Iacobucci is sitting his office waiting for instructions to actually begin reading the documents referred to him?

http://www.TennisVagabond.com Big Dave S

Uh oh. The Guergis-Is-The-Source-of-all-Evil story is getting a bit weaker. Looks like the allegations that come from Rockford are third-hand through the scummiest person in the whole story. But surely a businessman who keeps his office in a strip club wouldn't lie!
Basing one's actions on the word of Gillani would be as stupid as taking Schreiber at his word. I have a feeling the pile-on here went a little too fast, and Harper could wind up on the pointy-end of a lawsuit for wrecking Guergis career and rep based on Gillani's unsubstantiated storytelling.
If he would have just demoted her for being crazy and useless, he could have avoided this.

http://intensedebate.com/people/PolJunkie PolJunkie

And HArper isn't the only guilty party. The Toronto Star has some explaining to do. Is it ethical to run stories after stories from a man who would undoubtedly lie on this matter?

MacLean's Regular

"a man who would undoubtedly lie"

You don't know these are lies yet.

And you say you're not a fan of Guergis?

Frankly, knowing how commerce is conducted, none of this, not the drugs, not the hookers, not the influence peddling…er…networking…strikes me as particularly novel or interesting.

http://intensedebate.com/people/PolJunkie PolJunkie

True. I don't know that he's telling the truth in this instance. What I do know is that he stands accused of fraud which makes him less than credible. I certainly wouldn't turf a minister based on THAT's man's say so. How about you?

And no. I am no fan of Guergis but it certainly doesn't mean that I have to join in the disturbing frenzy that some seem to get into when it comes to attacking her. Unlike some, I need evidence. To date, I've seen none. She's an idiot who isn't fit for a cabinet position but she's not the only one.

http://intensedebate.com/people/sourstud sourstud

Snody is not looking too credible right now.

wilson

Harper said nothing, every opposition party had lots to say, but Harper held firm.
Anyone under investigation for alleged stock fraud, should not be kept in caucus until the RCMP have investigated.

Funny how Libs condemned Harper for standing by his minister, condemned Harper for not doing a 'tell all' in the House, and now 'want' the story to turn against Harper.
I don't think Helena's revenge will be pointed at PMSH……

Iffy is in a rather odd position, eh.
He could have heard the allegations from the source, but refused, so as to continue beating Harper with the 'secret' stick.
Looks bad for the Opps right now, doesn't it.
http://intensedebate.com/people/tobyornotoby tobyornotoby

Rockford would never talk! Or rat out a pretty lady he was investigating. You take that back!

http://intensedebate.com/people/PolJunkie PolJunkie

Sure he would. Everyone has a breaking point.

E.B.

I want to know who is going to play Rahim, Helena, and Mr. Harper in the made for TV movie. This story has it all; the movie should be a blockbuster. Politics, sex, drugs, a criminal element, a shady PI; does it get any better?

Seriously, though, I find I'm starting to feel sorry for Helena. From what we are hearing, she has been under a tremendous amount of stress and stuck with a loser husband and a loser boss.

Of course, if it turns out she is culpable and knows what has been going on and did nothing, the sympathy will be right out the window…
wilson

I haven't checked out the time dates, but I think this story broke on Blogging Tories first:
( the Client requested that PI give the info to the Liberals, Donolo refused to be breifed, so allegations were told to CPC,
and then to Fife)

'…have just been informed by my PI friend (Derek Snowdy) that he informed CTV's Robert Fife of everything I posted in my 10:29 PM update.

He informed Fife by telephone at 6:11 PM on Wednesday April 14th 2010.

Robert chose not to report it. At least not yet….''

http://pragmatictory.blogspot.com/2010/04/rosemar…
wilson

Maybe Liberals should be demanding PMSH tell the House who magnum PIs client is.
http://intensedebate.com/people/PolJunkie PolJunkie

Wilson, the P.I. wasn't acting on behalf of a client on this one. Gillani told him stories which the P.I. seemed to have shopped around until he found someone who would give him the time of day. That someone was a CPC lawer.

wilson

read the link above PolJunkie

exerpt (on direction of my client i called….)

''…On the direction of my client I called Mr. Ignatieffs chief of staff at 3:58pm on Thursday the 8th of April. A man named Peter Donolo. I identified myself to the staff and told them who I was in relation to the story and that my client had directed me to brief Mr. Ignatieff…THE GUY REFUSED TO BE BRIEFED!!! They indicated that they had no interest in the matter. Then Iggy starts his BS with the PM about people have to know…he was offered first dibbs ahead of the PM by the client. He is such a scumbag IMHO

Please note that this was in advance of me speaking to the Conservative lawyers

MacLean's Regular

"read the link above PolJunkie "

Ha! Filltering news and opinion through certifiably Blogging Tory lunatics?

You're trying too hard. Take a breather.

wilson

lol, yes you are.

MacLean's Regular

No, I'm not.

wilson

'He informed Fife by telephone at 6:11 PM on Wednesday April 14th 2010.'

well then Fife can verify if the commentor on Blogging Tories was legit, right……
inge

I'm not a fan of Guergis by a long shot. She clearly was not qualified to be in Cabinet. However, Harper's treatment of her has been pretty shabby. Surely, the decent thing to do, would have been to meet with her and discuss the allegations (particularly, since the source seems to be a little dicey) and possible resignation, etc. Instead, he had the party lawyer call and inform her of her fate. Seems cruel, but totally in character for Harper!

wilson

LOL, yah Liberals would love to turn this around as meanie Harper.

Wherry brought us many posts where Iffy and gang were demanding Helena be tossed out of Cabinet, but Harper stood by his Minister.
And now Iffy is questioning PMSHs judgement……laughable.