Three former staffers in the Prime Minister鈥檚 Office have hired high-priced Toronto law firms as the RCMP investigates a $90,000 cheque Nigel Wright wrote to Sen. Mike Duffy.
麻豆传媒 has learned that David Van Hemmen, Chris Woodcock and Benjamin Perrin have retained the legal services of three Toronto firms that charge hundreds of dollars per hour -- and taxpayers are footing the bill.
The federal government typically uses Justice Department lawyers, but outside lawyers can also be hired.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation decried the use of Toronto law firms.
鈥淭he Justice Department should be looking after them, not a bunch of high priced Bay Street lawyers,鈥� said the federation's director Gregory Thomas
Perrin served as special counsel to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. A sworn RCMP affidavit includes an email trail that suggests Perrin and Conservative Party lawyer Arthur Hamilton were involved in the secret deal that would see Duffy鈥檚 ineligible expenses covered by Harper鈥檚 then-chief of staff Nigel Wright.
The RCMP documents suggest that two others in the PMO were aware that Wright personally provided the money to repay Duffy's expenses: Wright's assistant David van Hemmen and Chris Woodcock, the PMO鈥檚 former director of issues management.
The affidavit also alleges that PMO staffers exerted influence over the Conservative Senate leadership in order to whitewash a Senate report on Duffy鈥檚 expenses.
The allegations in the affidavit have not been tested or proven in court.
Wright, the man at the centre of the RCMP investigation, is paying his own legal fees.
Meanwhile, a that would give party caucuses the ability to vote out their leader, among other powers.
Michael Chong鈥檚 private member's bill proposes to limit the power of the prime minister and his office. If passed, it would not take effect until after the next election.
Observers say the mere introduction of the proposed legislation sends a signal of discontent within the Tory backbench.
With a report from CTV鈥檚 Deputy Ottawa Bureau Chief Laurie Graham
