Duffy’s lawyer: Harper pushed Senator into scandal

[mentalfloss]

The Prime Minister’s Office intervened directly in the Senate expense affair, pressing Mike Duffy into a plan to repay past expense claims and instructing the PEI senator on what he should say to the media, Mr. Duffy’s lawyer says.

On Monday, Mr. Bayne told reporters that the $90,000 Mr. Duffy received from the Prime Minister’s former chief of staff, Nigel Wright, was part of a deal developed by the PMO and pushed on Mr. Duffy “for political reasons.”

“It’s a scenario, in Nigel Wright’s own words, that was created for Senator Duffy, not because he had anything to hide or had made inappropriate claims, but because the PMO had decided they wanted to sweep a political embarrassment to their Tory base under the rug,” Mr. Bayne said.

Duffy’s lawyer says Harper's office pushed Senator into scandal - The Globe and Mail

 

[tay]

I do wonder how Duffy and Wallin fell out of Best Friends Forever with Harper...........


Stephen Harper claimed that he had no knowledge of the plan concocted in his own office and carried out by Nigel Wright to repay Mike Duffy’s questionable expenses, because “I obviously would never have approved such a scheme.”

Then why did Harper so vigorously defend Wright for this action for days after it became public?

Why did he send Pierre Poilievre to the political talk shows to defend Wright’s writing of this cheque out of his own pocket, claiming that it was an almost heroic thing to do and that he was saving the taxpayers a lot of money?

People don’t usually defend a scheme they wouldn’t approve of.

 

[relic]

harper's story has more holes than a road sign in Pictou County.How about when he said he checked over Wallin's finances and they were fine and dandy. Not to mention appointing Duffy knowing he didn't live on PEI, ETC<ETC on and on .
Any body that believes harper is either off their meds or is od ing.

 

[Goober]

Just when the Conservatives say they have a fair and open process.

They shoot themselves in the pecker again, and again and again.

Conservative caucus to consider amending motions to suspend senators | National Post

OTTAWA — The Conservative Senate caucus will meet Monday morning to discuss possible amendments to three motions that would suspend embattled senators Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallin and Patrick Brazeau without pay or benefits.

Government Leader in the Senate Claude Carignan, who introduced the original motions, told CBC’s French network, Radio-Canada, that his caucus could craft new motions Monday as long as there is consensus among party members.

It’s an announcement that riles Senate Opposition Leader James Cowan, who has publicly denounced the way the red chamber is trying its members.

“Instead of having this thing dealt with in the Senate, where Sen. Carignan has said it should be done . . . now it’s going to be settled in the Conservative caucus in private,” Cowan said. “That doesn’t sound like a fair and open process to me.”

Last week, Cowan introduced amendments that would turn the senators’ cases over to a special committee. He said this would give the senators a fairer trial and address concerns of those worried about due process in current proceedings.