Newly released RCMP records allege significant political interference was applied by the Liberals to pressure then-Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould to halt the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin.

By Sam Cooper | The Bureau

Transparency watchdog Democracy Watch has released a second trove of RCMP investigative records, alleging that they raise profound concerns about political interference in the national police force’s probe of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government. The records pertain to allegations that Trudeau and senior Cabinet officials pressured then-Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould to halt the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin, with one Trudeau aide explicitly stating that intervention was necessary “to help the Liberals get re-elected.”

Summary

New evidence, including Wilson-Raybould’s RCMP interview, suggests that the pressure campaign may have met the threshold for criminal obstruction charges. The records indicate that Trudeau’s top aides sought to resolve the SNC-Lavalin affair in a way that would protect the government’s electoral prospects.

In her RCMP interview, Wilson-Raybould hinted at the possibility of obstruction charges but did not provide further details due to redactions. She also mentioned that there were more people involved and more information that she was not privy to, suggesting the need for a broader investigation.

Duff Conacher, co-founder of Democracy Watch, called for a fully independent special prosecutor to investigate and obtain secret Cabinet communications, as the pressure to obstruct the prosecution had not been publicly revealed before.

Democracy Watch criticizes the RCMP’s impartiality and thoroughness, noting that the force never interviewed Trudeau or several other officials, did not consider breach of trust charges, labeled the process an “assessment” instead of a formal investigation, and failed to pursue secret Cabinet records through the courts.

Conacher demands a full accounting of whether Trudeau’s team placed partisan interests above the rule of law and why the RCMP did not pursue charges. This call for accountability comes as Trudeau has pledged to step down, triggering a leadership race.

Read the report in full at the publisher’s website here.