John Baird has quit. Eve and Dimitri have bolted. But, for Stephen Harper, this winter of discontent is going to turn into a very rough spring. Mike Duffy's trial is a little more than six weeks away. Michael Harris writes:
True, the suspended senator’s health could falter. True, the charges could be stayed, the trial might be postponed, or key witnesses could fight a subpoena to appear. But Duffy will never agree to walk away from this mess semi-corrupt. He will either be guilty or innocent, not trapped in some kind of reputational purgatory arranged by lawyers.
Harper and his acolytes have done their best to convict Duffy out of court. But the courts function differently than Harper's PMO:
The one thing Harper hates more than Justin Trudeau is evidence. And that is exactly what will be on offer once Duffy’s criminal trial begins. Depending on what is contained in those 800 emails between Janice Payne, Duffy’s employment lawyer, and Benjamin Perrin, then the PM’s in-house legal counsel, Duffy’s critics may discover that they were going after the monkey when it was really the organ grinder who was to blame all along.
Donald Bayne, Duffy's attorney, has pointed to the central problem behind the whole imbroglio:
“I am sure that I am not the only Canadian who will now wonder openly, how what was not a crime or bribe when Nigel Wright paid it on his own initiative, became however mysteriously, a crime or bribe when received by Mr. Duffy."
That's the question the organ grinder will be forced to answer.
10 comments:
“I am sure that I am not the only Canadian who will now wonder openly, how what was not a crime or bribe when Nigel Wright paid it on his own initiative, became however mysteriously, a crime or bribe when received by Mr. Duffy."
Yes and now Nigel Wright should be called Nigel Wrong has moved on to greener pastures. Which corporate crook would not want to hire him? After all he pulled off a scam that the Chretien Liberals could not have managed.
Wrong man wrong room it will catch up to him as his boss in Ottawa Steve has allot to answer for. Oh I forgot Steve the peeve is s made up pretend Calgary boy.
Excuse me for strong language but fuck him that Harper freak I used to deliver "The Calgary Herald" newspaper back in the day. A person like Harper was not welcome. He is extremely and dangerously pretentious.
"Pretentious" is pretty accurate, Mogs.
"Dangerous" is also extremely accurate is it not?
I can't stand that hide in the closet Queen Mr. pretend warrior that loves to send bombardiers bombing foregn nations we have zero quell with.
Steve is a dangerous actor...
And a fool! Fool on the hill parliament hill...
I have a very hard time believing that this will ever get before a judge, let alone a jury.
If Duffy or his lawyers haven't hired a very good private security firm with no ties to the PCP or to any member of the party or caucus they should do so at once.
I do not believe assassination is beyond the pale for the Harper cabal.
Harper is probably more secure than we think. He learned from Nixon and left no tapes and no paperwork for authorities to find. Any trial will come down to he said, she said. Harper lies and cheats. Pinning a crime on him will be like nailing Jello to a wall. Added to that, Harper's core support is rock solid loyal. He really doesn't have much of a problem.
He's still left with the problem of a one sided bribe, Toby. It hard to receive a bribe unless it's been offered.
The one sidedness of it all may affect Harper's re-election chances among those who gave him his majority.
I'm sure these folks will stop at nothing to make this problem go away, Dana.
If Duffy has a heart attack, there will be rejoicing in the Harper camp.
He's a dangerous dude, Mogs.
I understand that Duffy has found a source of funds to cover his 41-day trial. That's a tab that would bankrupt most people. I doubt the Cavendish Cottager has that sort of cash kicking around. Maybe it's an advance on book rights.
If I'm reading 'between the lines' correctly, Nigel Wright's statement to RCMP investigators implicates Harper. So too may other documents.
Apparently Harper counsel, Benjamin Perrin's handling of the transaction was "amateurish" and could leave him with some problems. There are internal e-mails but also correspondence and documents exchanged with Duffy's solicitor who handled the transfer.
It sounds like there's enough, more than enough, to give Wright, Perrin, LeBreton, Tkachuk and Stewart-Olsen a lively cross-examination. I'm also told that Arthur Hamilton may be in some jeopardy.
It would be truly satisfying if several of Harper's monkeys met with fierce cross examination, Mound.
The story they've been sticking to would be shredded.
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