Politics Watch is reporting on the Corbeil testimony, and the Paul Martin camp makes another appearance.
The former director of the Quebec wing of the federal Liberal party testified at the Gomery inquiry Monday that he paid nine party staff members and officials $50,000 in cash stuffed in envelopes shortly before the 2000 federal election.[...]
Also shortly before the election, Corbeil testified that he made two additional trips to Brault's office where he picked up two separate large yellow postal envelopes containing $35,000 and $15,000 in $100 bills.�
On both visits, Corbeil said he counted the cash before leaving Brault's office.� He later returned back to the Liberal Party headquarters.�
"I came to my office and I divided it up," he testified.�
Corbeil said he put the cash in nine separate envelopes for various party workers.
At that point in his testimony, Corbeil grabbed a piece of paper with the names of those he handed envelopes to and hesitated.�
Justice John Gomery asked Corbeil to provide the names of the recipients.�
"Commissioner, you know I lost my job," Corbeil said to Gomery.
"Mr. Corbeil, you're not the only one," Gomery said. "You're one of a group of people who have dealt with the very negative consequences because of having to tell the truth and we are making a request of you."
Corbeil then testified that he gave Daniel Dezainde, who was an official in the office of then prime minister Jean Chretien, two envelopes - one with $3,000 for Dezainde and another with $2,000 for a woman who was a friend of Dezainde.�
He also said he gave Richard Mimeau, a known supporter of Paul Martin, an envelope containing $6,000 to reimburse him for travel expenses.�
Corbeil is naming names. Among them is Liberal MP Denis Coderre - and it's not the first time.
Brault said that Gagliano crony Joe Morselli told him he could "solve potential problems" and "talk to Denis" - meaning Liberal cabinet minister Denis Coderre, who also served under Martin."
I presume the Prime MInister will be before the press by sundown, to turf Coderre from the party to uphold that "moral authority to govern" he informed us of a few weeks ago.
update - Ed Morrissey has relevant exerpts from a Globe and Mail report.
Did you see the part where Corbeil's lawyer read out the "intimidation" letter Corbeil was handed during the break this afternoon? And then Corbeil detailed a conversation with Gagliano (traceable on cell bills) also intimidating him?
Scary.
I'm afraid we're going to have to wait for the Gomery Commission to file its report, so which know which Liberal liars are lying, and which Liberal thieves are thieving.
No, I didn't, Candace. Do you know of anyone who has that published?
Is the Rule of Law in Canada dead?
Names have been named; witnesses testifying under oath of criminal activities carried on by members of the Government of Canada and others.
Where are the law enforcement agencies: the RCMP, the Surete de Quebec, the office of the Attorney- General for Canada and others under oath to uphold the Rule of Law in Canada?
Are the "names" not persons of interest to the Law?
Have any of these names/persons been brought in for interrogation by the Law?
Has there been a "Criminal Investigation" task-force been invoked? If not, why not?
Could you bribe a government employee or anyone with impunity? Could you attempt to bribe anyone with impunity? Can you launder money? Can you make illicit donations to the political parties? Etc., & etc.
What do you say? Just a fantasy? A rant? Biased observer? Deluded?
Is the Rule of Law dead in Canada?
Interesting how CBC's website forgot to mention the fourth person named in Corbeil's testimony (Richard Mimeau), supporter of Paul Martin. From the CBC website:
"Corbeil said those receiving cash donations were Daniel Dezainde, the current press secretary for Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada Jacques Saada, and Irene Marcheterre, director of communications for Transport Minister Jean Lapierre.
He testified that Dezainde received $3,000 and Marcheterre got $5,000."
no mention of Mimeau...strange
Politics Watch has an analysis of the $4.5 billion
for Jack Layton. They have invented a new term
to be used in budgets:
"The $4.5 billion is allocated in four envelopes."