XPost: can.politics, bc.politics, ont.politics   
   XPost: ab.politics   
   From: ConzRconz@YOW.ca   
      
   All the Harper government meddling in the Ukraine's affairs isn't going   
   to detract from the fact that they are under police investigation AGAIN.   
      
   Time to set up a separate division within the RCMP just to investigate   
   Harper and his government?   
   ________________________________   
   CBC News Posted: Mar 05, 2014   
      
      
   Bruce Carson, former PMO staffer, has banking records seized by RCMP   
      
   Former senior adviser to Stephen Harper faces influence peddling charge,   
   two lobbying investigations   
      
   Bruce Carson, a former senior adviser to Prime Minister Stephen Harper,   
   is under investigation over allegations he illegally lobbied his former   
   government colleagues.	   
      
      
   CBC News has learned the RCMP have seized banking records for Bruce   
   Carson, a former senior adviser to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, amid   
   their investigation into allegations he illegally lobbied his former   
   government colleagues.   
      
   In court records CBC News retrieved Wednesday, the RCMP allege Carson   
   used his connections to lobby on behalf of an organization called the   
   Energy Policy Institute of Canada, or EPIC, for a national energy strategy.   
      
   Const. Marie-Josée Robert says Carson's "continuous association" with   
   public office holders allowed him to accept money for "consideration for   
   his co-operation, assistance or exercise of influence in connection with   
   business matters with the government on behalf of EPIC."   
      
   "I believe without this inferred influence, Mr. Carson would have not   
   performed his services so effectively," she wrote in an affidavit known   
   as an "information to obtain a production order."   
      
   The allegations aren't proven and haven't been tested in court. No   
   charges have been laid.   
      
   Carson is a former designated public office holder and was banned from   
   lobbying for five years after Feb. 4, 2009, the date he left Prime   
   Minister Stephen Harper's office.   
      
      
   Also charged with influence peddling   
      
   After he left the Prime Minister's Office, Carson headed up the Canada   
   school of energy and environment at the University of Calgary. He was   
   also one of two founding co-chairs of EPIC, though his title changed to   
   vice-chair after two weeks.   
      
   The organization was created in August 2009 to gain support from private   
   sector leaders and academics, as well as build support with the public,   
   before going to government with ideas for an energy strategy.   
      
   It drew big names, including former New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna,   
   who is now deputy chair of TD Bank Group, and Thomas d'Aquino, former   
   president of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives.   
      
   Doug Black, whom Harper appointed a senator in January 2013, became   
   president of EPIC, at a salary of $10,000 a month, the affidavit says.   
      
   Robert notes Carson is also being investigated for lobbying on behalf of   
   the school of energy and environment.   
      
   The commissioner of lobbying referred the case to the RCMP.   
      
   Carson also faces a separate charge of influence peddling.   
      
   Carson's work started the same year he left PMO.   
      
      
   'Secret sauce'   
      
   Robert notes in her affidavit that Carson and other EPIC staff decided   
   Sept. 2, 2009, that Carson would draft a letter that could be sent to   
   federal party leaders.   
      
   He also set about meeting with top civil servants, Robert says in the   
   affidavit.   
      
   In November 2009, Carson emailed Wayne Wouters, the clerk of the Privy   
   Council and Canada's most senior civil servant, about meeting with him.   
      
   Carson also emailed the top civil servant at the Department of Natural   
   Resources asking to meet with her. He also sent an email about meeting   
   with Christian Paradis, the MP who in 2010 took over the natural   
   resources portfolio in cabinet.   
      
   Although the organization's executive committee decided early in 2010   
   that Carson wasn't to lobby, Robert notes his activity seems to have   
   picked up.   
      
   "Interestingly enough, Mr. Carson's lobbying activities increased after   
   the motion 'not to lobby the federal government on behalf of EPIC,' was   
   passed," she wrote in the affidavit.   
      
   Carson started with a $60,000 honorarium, but ended up earning $160,000   
   between February 2010 and February 2011.   
      
   In one email, Carson refers to his gross income as $10,000 per month, or   
   $120,000 a year, according to Robert's affidavit.   
      
   Black responded to one of Carson's requests for money with praise.   
      
   "No issue.... We are making progress and you are the secret sauce,"   
   Black wrote, according to the affidavit.   
      
      
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                        “It is horrifying that we have to fight our own   
   government to save our democracy."   
      
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   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)