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Former Conservative campaign manager testifies at defamation trial

Emails point to role in Province newspaper's investigation of former Liberal MP Blair Wilson
supreme court

A former West Vancouver Conservative Party campaign manager has testified in court about his role in gathering information about then-Liberal MP Blair Wilson and passing it on to a reporter with The Province newspaper.

Neil McIver, who managed a federal election campaign for former Conservative MP John Weston in 2005 and 2006 and volunteered in the role of “voter outreach” for the election campaign of former Conservative MP John Reynolds in 2004, was called to testify in B.C. Supreme Court about emails that described providing Province reporter Elaine O’Connor with information about Wilson in 2007.

The testimony came as part of a defamation trial in B.C. Supreme Court. Wilson is suing The Province, O’Connor, his father-in-law William Lougheed, blogger Steve Janke and former Liberal MLA Judi Tyabji for publishing or distributing damaging allegations that Wilson was financially irresponsible, guilty of Elections Act violations and unfit for public office.

On Monday, one week after the trial began, lawyers announced an out-of-court settlement had been reached between Wilson and Liberal political strategist Mark Marissen – ex-husband of B.C. Premier Christy Clark – who was also named in the lawsuit.

In opening arguments, Wilson’s lawyer Jay Straith described family members with what he said was a vendetta against Wilson and political enemies as working together to destroy Wilson’s political career.

On Thursday, Straith took McIver through a series of emails that pointed to his role in gathering materials about Wilson and passing those to The Province for an article published at the end of October 2007.

The emails also included exchanges with Lynda Lougheed, the daughter of William Lougheed, about plans to gather information about Wilson and pass it to the newspaper.

McIver acknowledged under questioning that he was aware Straith obtained the emails through a subpoena to the company where McIver worked at the time.

In court, Straith asked McIver to read aloud an email he wrote to Lynda Lougheed in early October 2007 about wanting to set up a meeting with her father in which he forwarded a report he described as containing “publicly available documents” about Wilson, including one about a lawsuit that had been filed against Wilson by a former employer claiming Wilson had padded his expense accounts and misappropriated money.

Under questioning by Straith, McIver said he didn’t know who wrote the report he forwarded or confirm facts contained in it before passing it along.

McIver also testified about a meeting, referred to in the emails, that he set up with O’Connor on Oct. 10 or 11 of that year – also attended by communications expert Shawn Thomas - to show her material he had gathered about Wilson, including information about “past legal troubles.”

“Did you tell Elaine O’Connor there were rumours of Blair Wilson being involved in cocaine?” asked Straith. “I just don’t recall,” said McIver.

“Was there a suggestion he had done anything illegal in regard to his 2006 campaign?” asked Straith.

“I don’t know,” McIver replied.

McIver testified he later sent a package to O’Connor containing the material he showed her.

In another email exchange, read aloud in court, Lynda Lougheed wrote to tell McIver that her father had met with Tyabji and her husband, Gordon Wilson, and that Tyabji had already shown some materials to senior Liberal officials.

In a reply, read out in court, McIver wrote back, “That alone is not enough to force the Libs to act. It has to be overwhelming. Don’t worry. We’re also proceeding with Elections Canada issue.”

In an email to O’Connor a few days later, McIver wrote to the reporter, “I’m working through the Elections Canada stuff now.”

In a later email to Lynda Lougheed, read in court, McIver wrote, “Things are progressing nicely and the Elections Canada issue is underway.”

He warned Lougheed in the email that when an article about Wilson was printed, Wilson would likely characterize it as “just a family squabble … the whole little-guy-getting-attacked routine. This needs to be countered and certainly can be with a little strategy.”

In one of her email replies prior to publication of the article, Lougheed wrote to McIver, “I’ve been told the Liberal Party has a replacement for him. He’s a psychopath through and through. I won’t be surprised if he ends up in jail.”

On the day the article came out, McIver sent an email to Lougheed at 1:47 a.m. letting her know it was online, with the comment, “This will be interesting. Stay strong.”

“I might suggest it’s like a kid before Christmas, sitting up for Santa,” said Straith. “You were waiting for this article to come out.”

Straith also asked McIver in court whether he had an agreement with O’Connor before he gave her material about Wilson. “Yes,” said McIver. “That any information I provided was protected. That my name would be protected as a source.”

In cross-examination on Monday, Province lawyer Dan Burnett asked McIver if he had an advance copy of the story or control over what the story was going to say. “No, none,” said McIver.

On Thursday, Patricia Morrison, the sister-in-law of William Lougheed, also testified about a conversation she had with him shortly after the death of his wife Norma Lougheed, who was Morrison’s sister, at the end of May 2007.

Morrison testified Lougheed was angry after finding out after her death that Norma had been giving money to her daughter Kelly Wilson – Blair Wilson’s wife – and had decided to cut off all contact with the Wilsons.

“He said, ‘I’m going to grind them into the ground. I have deep pockets. I’m going to grind them into the ground,’” she testified.

The trial continues.