UPDATE: Democracy Watch has responded to the RCMP’s claims:
“RCMP contradicting itself re: PM Trudeau, Liberal Cabinet & SNC-Lavalin prosecution obstruction investigation. Said in May 25 letter to DWatch that matter “is currently under investigation.” Today, RCMP says investigation concluded in Jan. 2023 (full statement below) #cdnpoli 1/5”
RCMP contradicting itself re: PM Trudeau, Liberal Cabinet & SNC-Lavalin prosecution obstruction investigation. Said in May 25 letter to DWatch that matter “is currently under investigation.” Today, RCMP says investigation concluded in Jan. 2023 (full statement below) #cdnpoli 1/5
— Democracy Watch (@DemocracyWatchr) June 19, 2023
Here is the full RCMP statement today: “The RCMP is not investigating allegations of political interference in the exercise of prosecutorial discretion to secure a remediation agreement for SNC-Lavalin. The statement, in a May 2023 Access to Information Release… 2/5 #cdnpoli
— Democracy Watch (@DemocracyWatchr) June 19, 2023
“was sent using information available at the time.
The RCMP’s Sensitive and International Investigations unit conducted an assessment pertaining to these allegations. As part of that review the RCMP spoke with and collected information from a variety of sources, and”
3/5 #cdnpoli— Democracy Watch (@DemocracyWatchr) June 19, 2023
“examined the matter in the most thorough, objective and professional manner.
After a comprehensive and impartial assessment of all available information, the RCMP determined that there was insufficient evidence to substantiate a criminal offence and the file was 4/5 #cdnpoli— Democracy Watch (@DemocracyWatchr) June 19, 2023
“concluded.
The conclusion of that file was communicated to the original complainant in a letter in January 2023 and was also to be released via several Access to Information Requests received. Regards, Media Relations and Communications
RCMP O Division (Ontario)” 5/5 #cdnpoli— Democracy Watch (@DemocracyWatchr) June 19, 2023
Previous update: The RCMP has issued a statement saying they are not investigating political interference in the SNC-Lavalin trial.
Here’s what they said:
“In response to numerous media reports, the RCMP can confirm it is not investigating allegations of political interference in the trial of SNC Lavalin.”
In response to numerous media reports, the RCMP can confirm it is not investigating allegations of political interference in the trial of SNC Lavalin.
— RCMP (@rcmpgrcpolice) June 19, 2023
Notably, the specific claim made by Democracy Watch – detailed below – is that the RCMP was investigating obstruction of justice.
And, given what was said to Democracy Watch (that “the matter is currently under investigation), some are noting a contradiction here:
Were you lying in your letter to Democracy Watch or are you lying now? #cdnpoli https://t.co/wH0lzSPq6d pic.twitter.com/3Lu3bax1cE
— Norman Spector (@nspector4) June 19, 2023
You can read previous updates to this story below:
RCMP response to Democracy Watch Access to Information request reveals the “matter is currently under investigation.”
Well, this wasn’t the headline the Liberals wanted to see the same day four federal by-elections are taking place:
“RCMP confirms it is investigating obstruction of SNC-Lavalin prosecution by Trudeau and Cabinet officials”
According to Democracy Watch, the RCMP response to one of their Access to Information requests reveals that Justin Trudeau along with other former top officials are under investigation for their role in pressuring Jody Wilson-Raybould to halt the SNC-Lavelin prosecution, which ultimately led to Wilson-Raybould resigning and then being removed from the Liberal Party:
“Today, Democracy Watch released the response it received recently to its Access to Information Act (ATIA) filed with the RCMP on July 27, 2022. The RCMP’s response letter, dated May 25, 2023, confirms it is investigating the allegation that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, former Finance Minister Bill Morneau, some members of their staff, and former Clerk of the Privy Council Michael Wernick, obstructed justice by pressuring then-Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould to stop the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin in 2018.”
“Attached to the response letter is a 96-page document with 86 pages fully redacted because “this matter is currently under investigation.” Only Democracy Watch’s 5-page February 2021 letter to the RCMP is unredacted, and four pages are fully redacted because they are “not relevant” and one page because it is “redundant”.”
Democracy Watch Co-founder Duff Conacher noted that the RCMP should have told Canadians about this years ago:
“The RCMP should have confirmed long ago that it was investigating the situation given the evidence, and that more than four years have passed since the situation was made public, and almost four years since the Ethics Commissioner’s ruling finding that Prime Minister Trudeau violated the federal ethics law pressuring the Attorney General. Given four years have passed, it is difficult to believe that the investigation has not been completed, and it raises many questions for the RCMP to answer.”
Conacher asked whether action is being deliberately delayed:
“Are the RCMP and prosecutors waiting for a third federal election to pass, or doing what often happens in Canada when powerful politicians and government officials are involved in alleged illegal activities – delaying with the hope that they can eventually bury the results of the investigation?”
Scandal piled upon scandal
The Liberals are already struggling in recent opinion polls, with the China election interference scandal eating away at their support. The recent resignation of Trudeau’s handpicked ‘special rapporteur’ David Johnston was the latest blow to the government. China’s election interference – and Trudeau’s lack of response to it – is the largest scandal the Liberals have faced since the SNC-Lavalin scandal.
Now, the news that Trudeau & some former top officials are under investigation for obstruction of justice brings that scandal back to the fore.
Canadians are once again reminded that Justin Trudeau and his government have been ‘ethically-challenged’ for quite a while, and that Trudeau demands the power to impose rules on Canadians that he seems unwilling to impose on himself.
By this evening, we will find out whether this revelation has an impact on any of the by-elections, but the real impact will be in the medium to long-term, as Liberal support is liable to erode even further.
Spencer Fernando
