From: Chad Williamson <chad@williamson.law>
Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2023 11:35:58 -0800
Subject: OUT OF THE OFFICE / DELAYED RESPONSE Re: Methinks everybody
should start checking the emails I sent them last year N'esy Pas?
To: david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Thank you kindly for your email. My responses to emails will be
significantly delayed. Please be advised of my following schedule:
January 25 - In the office, but busy with substantive and urgent legal work
January 26 - In Questioning all day
January 27 - Out of the office
We cordially request parties to actions not take any adverse steps
without providing us with adequate notice of their intention to do so.
This email address may be only periodically monitored — if at all —
and any responses sent during this time will be on a priority basis
only. Unfortunately, I continue to experience a sizeable and atrocious
backlog of emails and, accordingly, ask that you exercise patience
while I work to resolve the growing backlog. I will respond to emails
in the order they are received.
I apologize for any inconvenience and will get back to you as soon as I can.
If you require immediate assistance, please contact Ellen Williamson
at ellen@williamson.law or by calling the main office at 587-355-3321.
If you have a REAL ESTATE MATTER, please email
carmen@yourlawyeralberta.com and ken@yourlawyeralberta.com. Our office
will continue to welcome and process real estate conveyances during
the above period.
--
Chad Williamson
Barrister & Solicitor
[image]
Phone & Fax: 587-355-3321
Toll Free: 1-888-308-2726
chad@williamson.law
638 11 Avenue SW, Suite 200 | Calgary, Alberta | T2R 0E2
http://www.williamson.law/
This communication and any attachments are intended solely for the use
of the addressee(s) shown herein. The information contained in this
email may be confidential, personal, privileged and exempt from
disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the intended
recipient, please contact the writer immediately. Any use,
dissemination, distribution or copying of this information by a person
other than the intended recipient is strictly prohibited. All
communications received in error must be deleted or destroyed.
---------- Original message ----------
From: "Media Relations-PAB / Relation avec les médias-DGAP (CRA/ARC)"
<cra-arc.media@cra-arc.gc.ca>
Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2023 19:35:57 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Methinks everybody should start checking the
emails I sent them last year N'esy Pas?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Thank you for contacting the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Media
Relations team. Our office hours are Monday to Friday between 8 a.m.
and 6 p.m. (Eastern time), excluding national and statutory holidays.
Please note that if you are not a news reporter, your email will not
be addressed.
You can write to the Minister
here<https://apps.cra-arc.gc.
If you wish to speak with a CRA agent, please use the phone numbers below.
1. 1-800-959-8281 (Individual tax enquiries)
2. 1-800-387-1193 (Benefit enquiries)
3. 1-800-959-5525 (Businesses and self-employed individuals)
4. 1-613-940-8495 (if calling from outside Canada/USA)
For other commonly used CRA phone numbers please visit our contact
page.<https://www.canada.ca/
For information on scams or to report deceptive telemarketing, contact
the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) online at
www.antifraudcentre.ca<http://
1-888-495-8501.
If you believe you may be the victim of fraud or have given personal
or financial information by mistake, contact your local police
service. For more information, go to
www.canada.ca/taxes-fraud-
******************************
Merci d'avoir contacté l'équipe des Relations avec les médias de
l'Agence du revenu du Canada. Nos heures de service sont du lundi au
vendredi, de 8 h à 18 h (heure de l'Est), sauf les jours fériés et les
jours de fête nationale.
Veuillez noter que si vous n’êtes pas un journaliste, votre courriel
ne sera pas traité.
Vous pouvez écrire à la ministre
ici<https://apps.cra-arc.gc.
Si vous souhaitez parler à un agent de l'Agence, composez l’un des
numéros de téléphone suivant:
1. 1-800-959-7383 (Impôt sur le revenu des particuliers)
2. 1-800-387-1194 (Prestations fiscales)
3. 1-800-959-7775 (Renseignments des entreprises)
4. 1-613-940-8496 (Appels provenant de l'extérieur du
Canada et des É-U)
Pour obtenir les autres numéros de téléphone couramment utilisés,
veuillez consulter notre
<https://www.canada.ca/fr/
page de coordonnées<https://www.
Pour obtenir des informations sur les fraudes ou le télémarketing
trompeur, contactez le Centre antifraude du Canada au
www.centreantifraude.ca<http:/
composant le numéro sans frais 1-888-495-8501.
Si vous croyez avoir été victime d'une fraude ou si vous avez fourni
par erreur des renseignements personnels ou financiers, contactez
votre service de police local. Pour plus de renseignements, consultez
la page Protégez-vous contre la
fraude<https://www.canada.ca/
From: Premier of Ontario | Premier ministre de l’Ontario <Premier@ontario.ca>
Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2023 19:37:13 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Methinks everybody should start checking the
emails I sent them last year N'esy Pas?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Thank you for your email. Your thoughts, comments and input are greatly valued.
You can be assured that all emails and letters are carefully read,
reviewed and taken into consideration.
There may be occasions when, given the issues you have raised and the
need to address them effectively, we will forward a copy of your
correspondence to the appropriate government official. Accordingly, a
response may take several business days.
Thanks again for your email.
______
Merci pour votre courriel. Nous vous sommes très reconnaissants de
nous avoir fait part de vos idées, commentaires et observations.
Nous tenons à vous assurer que nous lisons attentivement et prenons en
considération tous les courriels et lettres que nous recevons.
Dans certains cas, nous transmettrons votre message au ministère
responsable afin que les questions soulevées puissent être traitées de
la manière la plus efficace possible. En conséquence, plusieurs jours
ouvrables pourraient s’écouler avant que nous puissions vous répondre.
Merci encore pour votre courriel.
Methinks everybody should start checking the emails I sent them last year N'esy Pas?
David Amos<david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com> | Sun, Jan 29, 2023 at 3:35 PM |
To: Frank.Au@ontario.ca, bmiller@fosterllp.ca, CNardi@postmedia.com, Marco.Mendicino@parl.gc.ca, yoav@yoavniv.ca, ministryofjustice@gov.ab.ca, "cra-arc.media" <cra-arc.media@cra-arc.gc.ca>, mcu <mcu@justice.gc.ca>, "Bill.Blair" <Bill.Blair@parl.gc.ca>, kingpatrick278 <kingpatrick278@gmail.com>, art <art@streetchurch.ca>, martha.oconnor@gov.ab.ca, chris.scott@whistlestoptruckstop.ca, lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com, lmichelin@bprda.wpengine.com, Chad Williamson <chad@williamson.law>, sheilagunnreid <sheilagunnreid@gmail.com>, premier <premier@gov.ab.ca>, premier <premier@ontario.ca>, Newsroom <Newsroom@globeandmail.com>, meghan.grant@cbc.ca, admin@fortmacleod.com, marco.vanhuigenbos@fortmacleod.com, gord@fortmacleod.com, wooly@telusplanet.net, werner.dressler@fortmacleod.com, jim.monteith@fortmacleod.com, brent.feyter@fortmacleod.com, steven.johnston@gov.ab.ca, peter.mackenzie@gov.ab.ca, "Murray.Brewster" <Murray.Brewster@cbc.ca>, news-tips <news-tips@nytimes.com>, Pat.Morris@opp.ca, Shantona@papechaudhury.com, elizabeth.thompson@cbc.ca, rokaku8@gmail.com, sten@estonianworld.com, paulpalango <paulpalango@protonmail.com>, nsinvestigators <nsinvestigators@gmail.com>, NightTimePodcast <NightTimePodcast@gmail.com>, "Nathalie.G.Drouin" <Nathalie.G.Drouin@pco-bcp.gc.ca>, larry.brock@parl.gc.ca, "Matthew.Green" <Matthew.Green@parl.gc.ca>, NRodriguez@conwaylitigation.ca, "fin.minfinance-financemin.fin" <fin.minfinance-financemin.fin@canada.ca> | |
Cc: motomaniac333 <motomaniac333@gmail.com>, hillsofhomecafe@gmail.com, geoffrey.hale@uleth.ca, joel.dryden@cbc.ca, leschied@protonmail.com, antoine@ajdlaw.ca | |
https://davidraymondamos3. Friday, 20 January 2023 Alberta premier's office contacted Crown prosecution about Coutts cases: sources |
Alberta Justice spokespeople deliver duelling statements on prosecutor email review
Justice Department said Monday it had done a four-month search of ingoing, outgoing and deleted emails
The review was ordered by Smith a week ago to respond to allegations in a CBC story that reported a staffer in the premier's office emailed prosecutors last fall to question decisions and direction on cases stemming from a blockade at the Canada-U. S. border crossing at Coutts, Alta. CBC News has not seen the emails.
The Justice Department said Monday it had done a four-month search of ingoing, outgoing and deleted emails and found no evidence of contact.
Alberta Justice communications director Charles Mainville said in an email reply to CBC News on January 24 when asked about the retention period for the Government of Alberta, "The GoA has a retention period of 30 days for deleted emails. This means that once an email is delete[d] by a user, the email would still be accessible for a period of 30 days"; meaning the search for deleted emails may not have covered the entire time period in question.
On Thursday night, Ethan Lecavalier-Kidney, a spokesman for Justice Minister Tyler Shandro, responded to questions about Mainville's statement. He said while emails are deleted after 30 days, they live on in the system for another 30 and could have been checked that far back by investigators.
"For example, if an email was deleted on Oct. 17, 2022, the email would no longer be accessible to the user as of Nov. 16, 2022, but would continue to be available to our investigation team until Dec. 16, 2022," said Lecavalier-Kidney in his statement.
A 60-day search would have stretched back to late November, capturing all but the first six weeks of Smith's United Conservative Party government. Smith was sworn in as premier on Oct. 11.
But while Lecavalier-Kidney's statement said investigators could go back 60 days, it did not state if they did.
When asked Friday to clarify whether investigators did go back 30 or 60 days on the deleted emails, Lecavalier-Kidney did not respond to questions while Mainville reissued the original statements in an email.
The government has also delivered conflicting messages on who was investigated in the review.
Smith promised that emails from all Crown prosecutors and the 34 staffers in her office would be checked.
However, the Justice Department later said emails between "relevant" prosecutors and Smith staffers were checked. It did not say how it determined who was relevant.
Smith has said she did not direct prosecutors in the Coutts cases and the email review exonerated her office from what she called "baseless" allegations in the CBC story.
With files from CBC
From: "Au, Frank (MAG)" <Frank.Au@ontario.ca>
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2022 20:27:39 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Re Urgent Consultation
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
I am away on a secondment until Spring 2023, and do not have access to
emails. If you require assistance, please call 416.326.4600 and ask
for the Duty Crown. Thank you.
---------- Original message ----------
From: "Nardi, Chris" <CNardi@postmedia.com>
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2022 21:59:07 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Re Urgent Consultation
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Hi,
I am currently on full time coverage of the Public Order Emergencies
Commission until Nov. 25, give or take. It is a firehose of daily
news, so most of my attention during this time will be focused on that
coverage.
If your email relates to another topic, I apologize in advance but I
can not guarantee I will read it. If it is time sensitive and
important, I recommend you reach out to jivison@postmedia.com.
In the meantime, stay positive and test negative!
Christopher Nardi
---------- Original message ----------
From: Brendan Miller <bmiller@fosterllp.ca>
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2022 21:53:38 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Methinks Trudeau The Younger and his buddy
Higgy wish that I did not save this video N'esy Pas Norm Traversy?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Please be advised that from October 10, 2022 at 12:00AM through to and
including November 25, 2022 at 11:59AM I will have limited access to
my email, being email address
bmiller@fosterllp.ca<mailto:bm
the office.
Though I typically accept services of applications, court process, and
other documents via email, I will not be accepting service of same for
the period of October 10, 2022 at 12:00AM through to and including
November 25, 2022 at 11:59AM.
If there is correspondence you absolutely need to send during the
above time-period, you may send same by fax to Foster LLP
(403-266-4741) to the attention of all three following lawyers please:
(i) Leigh Sherry.
(ii) Peter Crozier; &
(iii) Rupert Joshi.
If there is an emergency application or matter during the above
time-period, you may serve the same by fax to Foster LLP
(403-266-4741) to the attention of all three following lawyers please:
(i) Leigh Sherry.
(ii) Peter Crozier; &
(iii) Rupert Joshi.
If there is an emergency requiring that you speak to me by phone
during the above time-period and you do not already have my cellphone
number, please email Bethany DeWolfe at
bdewolfe@fosterllp.ca<mailto:b
provide to you. Thereafter, please text or Imessage me regarding who
it is and what you need, and I will get back to you.
If prior to October 10, 2022 you need to contact me about something on
a file or what to deal with something before October 10, 2022, please
do so now.
If we have provided agreed to dates or have dates booked for steps in
litigation, questioning, court, or something of the like, those dates
stand and will be going ahead with counsel from my firm, or agent
counsel in lieu of my appearance, and should stay in your calendar.
This letter is not to be interpreted as agreement to adjourn or cancel
anything.
From: Shantona Chaudhury <Shantona@papechaudhury.com>
Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2022 13:59:26 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Methinks Rohan Kumar Pall and his pals
should not be surprised by Robert Bernier and his fellow Ottawa cops
trying to play dumb todasyu N'esy Pas Frank Au?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Please note that I am currently serving as Co-Lead Counsel to the
Public Order Emergency Commission and may not be able to respond to
your email. If you need to reach me, please contact my assistant,
Nichole Denney (416-681-8001, nichole@papechaudhury.com) or Wing Lam
(416-364-8755, wing@papechaudhury.com)
---------- Original message ----------
From: Natalia Rodriguez <NRodriguez@conwaylitigation.
Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2022 13:59:25 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Methinks Rohan Kumar Pall and his pals
should not be surprised by Robert Bernier and his fellow Ottawa cops
trying to play dumb todasyu N'esy Pas Frank Au?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Thank you for your email. I am currently serving as Senior Commission
Counsel to the Public Order Emergency Commission until the end of
2022. I will be checking this email less frequently and my response
time will be delayed as a result.
If your matter is urgent, please contact my assistant Doreen Navarro
at dnavarro@conwaylitigation.ca.
---------- Original message ----------
From: Mona Duckett <mduckett@dsscrimlaw.com>
Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2022 13:59:32 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Methinks Rohan Kumar Pall and his pals
should not be surprised by Robert Bernier and his fellow Ottawa cops
trying to play dumb todasyu N'esy Pas Frank Au?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
I am out of the office until Monday Oct. 31st. You may call
reception at 780 424 9058 to leave a voicemail which I won't access
until Oct. 31st. You may also contact my assistant Niki at
nweisbeck@dsscrimlaw.com.
---------- Original message ----------
From: Premier of Ontario | Premier ministre de l’Ontario <Premier@ontario.ca>
Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2022 13:59:25 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Methinks Rohan Kumar Pall and his pals
should not be surprised by Robert Bernier and his fellow Ottawa cops
trying to play dumb todasyu N'esy Pas Frank Au?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Thank you for your email. Your thoughts, comments and input are greatly valued.
You can be assured that all emails and letters are carefully read,
reviewed and taken into consideration.
There may be occasions when, given the issues you have raised and the
need to address them effectively, we will forward a copy of your
correspondence to the appropriate government official. Accordingly, a
response may take several business days.
Thanks again for your email.
______
Merci pour votre courriel. Nous vous sommes très reconnaissants de
nous avoir fait part de vos idées, commentaires et observations.
Nous tenons à vous assurer que nous lisons attentivement et prenons en
considération tous les courriels et lettres que nous recevons.
Dans certains cas, nous transmettrons votre message au ministère
responsable afin que les questions soulevées puissent être traitées de
la manière la plus efficace possible. En conséquence, plusieurs jours
ouvrables pourraient s’écouler avant que nous puissions vous répondre.
Merci encore pour votre courriel.
---------- Original message ----------
From: Ministerial Correspondence Unit - Justice Canada <mcu@justice.gc.ca>
Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2022 14:01:58 +0000
Subject: Automatic Reply
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Thank you for writing to the Honourable David Lametti, Minister of
Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
Due to the volume of correspondence addressed to the Minister, please
note that there may be a delay in processing your email. Rest assured
that your message will be carefully reviewed.
We do not respond to correspondence that contains offensive language.
-------------------
Merci d'avoir écrit à l'honorable David Lametti, ministre de la
Justice et procureur général du Canada.
En raison du volume de correspondance adressée au ministre, veuillez
prendre note qu'il pourrait y avoir un retard dans le traitement de
votre courriel. Nous tenons à vous assurer que votre message sera lu
avec soin.
Nous ne répondons pas à la correspondance contenant un langage offensant.
---------- Original message ----------
From: "Brown, Catherine" <BrownC@ottawapolice.ca>
Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2022 13:59:38 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: [EXTERNAL] Methinks Rohan Kumar Pall and his
pals should not be surprised by Robert Bernier and his fellow Ottawa
cops trying to play dumb todasyu N'esy Pas Frank Au?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
I will be away from the office returning November 6th . If you need
assistasnce please reach out to AScting Staff Sergeant Govert Schoorl.
Thank you
Cathy
---------- Original message ----------
From: "Patterson, Mark J" <PattersonM@ottawapolice.ca>
Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2022 13:59:41 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: [EXTERNAL] Methinks Rohan Kumar Pall and his
pals should not be surprised by Robert Bernier and his fellow Ottawa
cops trying to play dumb todasyu N'esy Pas Frank Au?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Currently away from office, if you require assistance please contact
A/Supt Heather Lachine.
Absence Alert
I am away from the office until Monday Mau 9th.
Thanks,
Supt Mark Patterson
CBC News stands by Coutts story despite statement from Danielle Smith's office
Alberta premier’s office described report as 'defamatory,' 'baseless'
We use this editor's blog to explain our journalism and what's happening at CBC News. You can find more blogs here.
On Wednesday, the office of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith issued a statement demanding an apology and retraction of a story CBC News broke several days earlier.
That original story of Jan. 19 included allegations by well-placed sources that a staffer had sent a series of emails to the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service challenging the prosecutors' assessment and direction of the cases stemming from last winter's border protests at Coutts. The premier's office denied the allegations, saying Smith had no knowledge of anyone on her staff doing so.
After a weekend search of nearly a million emails, the government reported that no related emails had been found. Then on Wednesday, Smith's office issued the retraction demand, not long after CBC News had published a separate piece on how the premier allegedly pressured the attorney general and his office to intervene in COVID-related court cases, according to multiple sources.
In its statement, the premier's office described our original reporting as "defamatory" and said it contained "baseless allegations."
"The premier calls on the CBC to retract its outrageous story, and further, that the CBC and the Official Opposition apologize to the premier, premier's office staff, Alberta Crown prosecutors and those in the Alberta public service for the damage caused to their reputations and that of Alberta's justice system," the statement reads, adding, "the CBC admitted that it had not seen any of the emails."
The premier's statement generated numerous complaints to CBC's ombudsman, questioning our motives and journalism. Many complainants accused CBC News of lying and inventing the story. Others suggested it was a politically motivated "hit job."
As is our practice, we responded as quickly as possible to those complaints. To be clear, CBC News stands by its journalism.
WATCH | Smith staffer challenged Coutts cases, sources say:
'We remain committed to reporting this story'
In the interest of transparency, I want to share the response that was sent to complainants by Helen Henderson, manager of the CBC Calgary newsroom and a journalist with more than 30 years of experience in the business:
The strict independence of prosecutors, judges and the justice system from political interference is a cornerstone of Canada's democracy. So allegations of interference by the Premier's Office in the prosecution and direction of the Coutts cases are extremely serious. (It was exactly this issue where the federal Ethics Commissioner concluded Prime Minister Trudeau had acted improperly and in contravention of the Conflict of Interest Act when he attempted to influence Minister of Justice and Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould's decision on the SNC-Lavalin prosecution.)
It may be worth recalling that Premier Smith has said publicly as recently as last month that she had contacted Crown prosecutors about the assessment of the charges and pushed back on their characterization, although more recently she has backtracked saying at "no time" has she communicated directly with prosecutors on the Coutts cases.
A truck convoy of demonstrators blocks the highway at the busy U.S. border crossing in Coutts on Feb. 2, 2022. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)
Those who told CBC they have knowledge of the matter consider the contact "inappropriate" and serious enough that they believe the information should be made public. Not surprisingly, however, the sources who provided the information – and I should emphasize here there was more than one source – asked CBC not to use their names in the story.
That does not mean that they are anonymous. CBC knows the names of the sources, knows where they work, and has carefully assessed the credibility of the information they offered, but agreed not to use their names so as not to put their jobs at risk. CBC's journalistic policy explains it this way: "Our ability to protect sources allows people with important information to come forward and expose matters of public interest. If we do not properly protect our confidential sources, potential sources will not trust us. This compromises our ability to expose abuses of power."
Credibility, being trusted, is the most important attribute of any news organization. That is true of CBC News. So let me emphasize here that we were very careful not only to confirm the bona fides of the sources we spoke with, but to corroborate the information they gave us. It was only after we had spoken with multiple sources and were satisfied with its credibility and authenticity that we published it.
What the story did not say explicitly, but should have is that our journalists had not seen the alleged emails. It was an inadvertent omission. And when our editors realized the story didn't say that specifically, we included that information and added a prominent editor's note to advise readers of the addition.
Two days after the CBC story's publication, Premier Smith said she had asked public service employees to review emails sent between the Premier's Office and the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service. On Monday, she said the weekend search of over a million emails had turned up no evidence of contact between the two offices.
Does that mean the CBC story is inaccurate? It does not. The exchange of emails is alleged by sources to have taken place last fall. While the search extended back to October, the government has subsequently said that deleted emails are only retained for 30 days, in this instance, that is to December 22. The terms used in the search are confidential, it said, and would not say if the search included all government emails. The opposition has said the government's assurances are unsatisfactory and called for a full and independent inquiry that would include private email addresses.
Journalism is, by its nature, an iterative process. Reporters reveal information as it becomes known and as they can confirm facts to be true. That is the case here. Additional information was posted on January 25 under the headline, "Premier pressured Justice Minister's office to get rid of COVID charges, sources." The story describes the "pressure" felt by the attorney general's office to intervene in COVID-19 related court cases. That pressure, sources say, came from the premier's office. There is much more reporting to be done and stories in the coming days will include further information.
We remain committed to reporting this story and all the stories we carry with transparency, balance and impartiality.
Thank you for taking the time to write. I hope my response has reassured you of the continuing integrity of our news service.
Sincerely,
Helen Henderson
Senior Director,
Journalism/Programming
CBC Calgary
BREAKING: The CBC just told me they’re going to smear Rebel News today
Ezra Levant, Rebel News<info@rebelnews.com> | Wed, Jan 25, 2023 at 3:01 PM | |||||||||||||||
To: David Amos <David.Raymond.Amos333@gmail.com> | ||||||||||||||||
Reply | Reply to all | Forward | Print | Delete | Show original | ||||||||||||||||
|
CBC shut down Comment Section very early
Premier pressured justice minister's office to get rid of COVID charges, sources say
Premier’s office says all communication with attorney general has been appropriate
Exchanges between the premier's office and Justice Minister Tyler Shandro's office over several months included what sources characterized as attempts to influence cases.
"I would classify it as inappropriate," one source close to the situation said. CBC News has agreed not to name them because of potential professional repercussions.
Smith would ask for updates on cases or inquire whether it would be possible to abandon them, they said.
This specifically included the prosecution of Artur Pawlowski, a pastor charged with two counts of criminal mischief and a charge under Alberta's Critical Infrastructure Defence Act related to the Coutts border blockade.
Another source with knowledge of the situation confirmed Smith committed to taking that case to Shandro with the intent to make the charges go away.
CBC News has agreed not to name the sources, as they were not authorized to discuss these matters and out of concern they could lose their jobs.
Communications appropriate: premier's office
The premier's office says Smith's public statements explained her exploration of legal options to grant amnesty for pandemic charges.
"After taking office, the Premier and her staff had several discussions with the Minister of Justice and Justice department public servants, requesting an explanation of what policy options were available for this purpose. After receiving detailed legal advice and recommendations from the Minister not to proceed with pursuing options for granting amnesty, the Premier followed that legal advice," the premier's office said in a statement.
'All communications between the Premier, her staff, the Minister of Justice and Ministry of Justice public servants have been appropriate and made through the proper channels,' Premier Danielle Smith's office said Wednesday. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)
"All communications between the Premier, her staff, the Minister of Justice and Ministry of Justice public servants have been appropriate and made through the proper channels."
In a subsequent statement Wednesday afternoon, Smith called for CBC to retract its story from last week in which sources said the premier's office had emailed Crown prosecutors about Coutts-related cases. She called that story "outrageous" and "defamatory," adding that CBC had not seen the emails in question.
Smith has said publicly she asked the attorney general and his deputy minister to consider whether COVID-related cases were in the public interest to pursue and whether there was a reasonable chance of conviction before proceeding.
However, sources confirmed some of these conversations went beyond those considerations and veered into pressure.
"They're constantly pushing," a source said, adding that the minister's office has been resisting.
"I would interpret that as pressure."
The justice minister's office denies the premier issued direction.
"While Premier Smith requested briefings and they were provided, at no point in time was there any direction provided to the Attorney General by the Premier or her office. The Alberta Crown Prosecution Service acts independently and at no time has any political decision affected ongoing prosecutions," Ethan Lecavalier-Kidney, the minister's press secretary, said in a statement.
Relationship under scrutiny
The relationship between the minister's office and the premier's office over the approach to COVID-related court cases has been subject of recent public scrutiny.
An interview between Ezra Levant, who runs the right-wing media company Rebel News, and Pawlowski suggests there were efforts behind the scenes to get the government to help make the pastor's charges disappear.
Last December, on the morning of what was supposed to be his trial on offences connected to breaching public health orders in Calgary, Pawlowski's charges were stayed.
"Do you think someone called [the prosecutor] off? Do you think some big boss phoned her up that morning and said 'Hey prosecutor, you're throwing in the towel'?" Levant asked Pawlowski in an interview posted to Rebel's website on Dec. 20.
Pawlowski — who goes to trial on the Coutts-related charges next Thursday — responded.
"We have been working in the background on the political level, trying to talk to the UCP government to call their dogs off because this is pure vendetta," he told Levant.
"Maybe someone smarter than the Minister Shandro said 'Hey, this is not in our interest to wage the war against the ministers and pastors.'"
Artur Pawlowski is a pastor charged with two counts of criminal mischief and a charge under Alberta's Critical Infrastructure Defence Act related to the Coutts border blockade. (Artur Pawlowski/Facebook)
Pawlowski's lawyers declined to comment on Wednesday.
"As this is a live situation that could conceivably impact trial next week, we are not in a position to comment on this situation right now," said Sarah Miller in an email to CBC News.
Levant has been instrumental in fundraising for Pawlowski's legal fees and publicly campaigning to get the pastor's Coutts-related charges dropped ahead of his Feb. 2 trial.
Smith herself was on the receiving end of a pressure campaign involving Levant earlier in the fall.
In October, following an in-person meeting, Levant advocated for the premier to drop COVID-related charges. He outlined what he thought she should do in a lengthy email to Smith's office. Levant confirmed the contents of the email and the meeting with the premier.
"The Premier was interested in any information that I could provide her about the situation on the ground and the mechanisms available to her to provide leadership on these issues," reads part of the email, obtained by CBC News.
It argued why some charges should be stayed or withdrawn and why the attorney general should intervene — specifically mentioning Pawlowski in the correspondence. CBC News learned the email was then forwarded from the premier's office to Shandro's office.
Ezra Levant runs the right-wing media company Rebel News. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)
"I expect that with the proper guidance and direction from the Premier's office, the prosecutions related to the Coutts protest (the non-violent cases, without firearms), other anti-lockdown protests, or offences under the Public Health Act … can all be withdrawn, stayed or otherwise discontinued," it reads.
In response to a request for comment Wednesday, Levant posted the letter on his website.
"I'm very proud of that letter, and I stand by every word of it," said Levant.
He said he has been public in his calls for pressure to be put on the attorney general to withdraw charges connected to the pandemic.
"I have no idea what Smith did or didn't do with the letter I wrote to her."
CBC News recently reported, based on sources, that a staff member in the premier's office had emailed Crown prosecutors several times last fall about ongoing cases related to Coutts border blockade charges. CBC News has not viewed those emails.
The premier said she had no knowledge of the matters and launched an email search, which her office said yielded no evidence of email contact.
The government later added that deleted emails would only be retained for 30 days, which would reach back to Dec. 22.
Two weeks ago, Smith backed down from a promise to seek official pardons for COVID-19 health violators, saying premiers don't have that power.
The premier spent several days clarifying conflicting comments on her contact with Crown prosecutors about these cases. She initially stated she had talked directly to prosecutors before then saying she had only spoken with her justice minister.
Smith said she wanted prosecutors to consider the reasonable likelihood of conviction and public interest but also that COVID charges are unique.
No emails found between Alberta premier's office, prosecution following weekend search, justice ministry says
CBC News reported Thursday that office staffer emailed Crown prosecutors about Coutts border blockade, protest
A search of nearly a million government emails found no evidence of contact between Alberta premier's office staff and the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service, the province's justice ministry says.
Public service employees, who are non-partisan, conducted a weekend search "for any emails sent to or received by the relevant prosecutors and staff in the premier's office" during a four-month period, said a statement from the justice ministry Monday.
The public service commission and IT experts conducted the search between Friday and Sunday and reviewed incoming, outgoing and deleted emails, the statement said.
Premier Danielle Smith said on Saturday she had asked for the search after CBC News reported on Thursday that a premier's office staffer sent a series of emails to Crown prosecutors, challenging their assessment and direction on court cases connected to last year's Coutts border blockade and protests.
Sources told CBC News the staffer sent the emails last fall that critiqued prosecutors' assessment of charges laid and pushed back on characterizations of the protests.
CBC News has not seen the emails.
Smith said in a Monday morning statement that she is confident in the integrity and professionalism of her staff and grateful to the public service for conducting the weekend review.
"An independent Crown prosecution service, free from political interference, is integral to the preservation of public confidence in the justice system," Smith said in the statement.
In an email, Chuck Thompson, head of public affairs for CBC, said the organization stands behind the journalism in the story.
Thompson said any information about sources is confidential.
In an email Monday, Charles Mainville, director of communications for Alberta Justice, said the email search included 900 mailboxes, and would capture any messages sent between government of Alberta addresses and non-government ones.
The exact search terms are part of an investigation, and confidential, he said.
Crown prosecutor emails were searched between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31, 2022, and premier's office emails were searched between Oct. 6 and Dec. 31. 2022. Smith won the UCP leadership on Oct. 6.
Mainville wouldn't specify whether all premier's office staff and all Crown prosecutors were included in the search.
"To protect the confidentiality of investigatory processes, further details cannot be provided," he said.
Rakhi Pancholi, NDP MLA for Edmonton-Whitemud, said she is dissatisfied by the internal review. Over the weekend the Opposition Alberta NDP called for an independent investigation.
At a news conference Monday, Pancholi raised questions about the scope of the review, and whether it would have captured emails sent to and from private email addresses.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she has confidence in the integrity of her staff after a weekend internal search found no emails between her office and the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press)
She also questioned what the government means by including "relevant" prosecutors in the search.
Mainville said "relevant prosecutors" refers to those who worked on files related to the Coutts border blockade or in the same office as those prosecutors.
Pancholi repeated calls for Justice Minister Tyler Shandro to appoint an independent investigator to not only search for possible emails, but interview employees in the premier's office and prosecution service.
"This isn't just about these emails," Pancholi said.
"We have the premier stating on record, a number of times, almost boasting about it, bragging about the fact that she has talked to prosecutors and asked them questions about charges related to COVID-19 convictions."
United Conservative Party members chose Smith as leader in October after she campaigned on a promise to look at offering amnesty to people who still faced charges for public health violations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Smith has twice said she spoke to Crown prosecutors about charges related to pandemic health violations.
At a Jan. 12 news conference in Edmonton, Smith said:
"We do have an independent justice department and independent Crown prosecutors, and I have asked them to consider all charges under the lens of 'is it in the public interest to pursue?'
"I ask them on a regular basis, as new cases come out, is it in the public interest to pursue and is there a reasonable likelihood of conviction?"
In an interview published online Dec. 23, Smith also told Rebel News she raised the issue with prosecutors.
"I put it to the prosecutors, and I've asked them to do a review of the cases with those two things in mind," she said.
Smith later said in a statement that she used "imprecise" language, and never communicated directly with prosecutors – only Attorney General Shandro and the deputy attorney general.
Just how robust any email search would be depends on how technical employees conducted that search, says John Zabiuk, chair of Northern Alberta Institute of Technology's cybersecurity program and an instructor at the Edmonton-based post-secondary institution.
Searching for keywords relating to the subject of interest could capture more relevant results than examining a specific subset of senders and receivers, he said.
Alberta NDP MLA Rakhi Pancholi reiterated the Opposition's calls for an independent investigation into emails sent from the premier's office to the Crown prosecution's office on Friday, adding there are too many unknowns right now about exactly what was said and by whom. (CBC News)
It should capture any deleted emails if the sender or receiver was using a government address, as those emails would be stored on a server, he said.
Any emails sent between two private email addresses wouldn't be captured by a search, Zabiuk said.
Many organizations also archive older messages to save space, and those would have to be manually returned to the email server to be included in the search, he said.
Alberta premier orders review after CBC reports of emails over Coutts cases between her office, prosecution
Premier Danielle Smith also confirmed emergency caucus meeting Saturday
Smith said Saturday — on Corus Entertainment's Your Province, Your Premier radio program — that she has ordered the independent public service to do a review of emails sent by her office, which will be conducted alongside the IT department.
CBC previously reported that a staffer in Smith's office sent a series of emails to the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service, challenging prosecutors' assessment and direction on cases stemming from the Coutts border blockades and protests.
The emails were sent last fall, according to sources whom CBC has agreed not to identify because they fear they could lose their jobs. CBC has not seen the emails.
Smith said there are hundreds of Crown prosecutors and she has 34 staffers in her office, which means it is likely the review will take the entire weekend.
"As soon as we see if the emails exist, then we'll make sure that we have a presentation to the public. We'll know next week," Smith said.
The premier also confirmed that she had called an emergency caucus meeting to take place Saturday.
"I want my caucus to understand the nature of the story," she said.
Alberta NDP MLA Rakhi Pancholi has called for an independent investigation into emails sent from the premier's office to the Crown prosecution's office. (CBC News)
Last week, Smith's office issued a statement saying she used "imprecise" language after two instances when she said she had contacted Crown prosecutors — once during an on-camera interview with Rebel News, and a second time during a press conference in Edmonton.
At that time, the premier's office said that she had actually contacted Attorney General Tyler Shandro and the deputy attorney general, and denied contacting Crown prosecutors.
On Saturday Smith said that during her leadership campaign she had many people ask her if there was an avenue for amnesty for people who had violated COVID-19 public health orders.
"I probably used imprecise language, but all of my dealings with the department have been appropriate and it's been through the Attorney General and department officials."
Alberta NDP MLA Rakhi Pancholi issued a statement following Smith's comments, saying that Smith is "hiding the truth behind IT processes and a caucus presentation meant to shore up her chaotic leadership."
"If Danielle Smith doesn't know what the staff in her office are doing, she shouldn't be premier," Pancholi wrote in the emailed statement.
"These allegations are extremely serious and yet, her story keeps changing. Albertans know the UCP cannot be trusted to investigate themselves."
Duane Bratt, a political scientist at Mount Royal University in Calgary, said the emergency caucus meeting taking place Saturday could be an attempt to "smooth the waters" with caucus.
He said emergency meetings of this type on a Saturday are rare.
"The reason that this is significant is we have video of Danielle Smith … saying that she had contacted Crown prosecutors about COVID cases," Bratt said.
"There's a lot of questions about what did the premier know, when did she know it? And just the relationship between the Government of Alberta and Crown prosecutors as it relates to COVID."
He said he thinks Smith is working to reassure caucus that appropriate action will be taken.
"We don't really know what the state of caucus relations is."
With files from CBC's Elise Von Scheel, Meghan Grant, CBC News Network
Alberta premier's office contacted Crown prosecution about Coutts cases: sources
Smith hasn't contacted Crown prosecutors and has no knowledge of staff doing so, premier's office says
The emails were sent last fall, according to sources whom CBC has agreed not to identify because they fear they could lose their jobs.
Soon after Smith was elected leader of the United Conservative Party and sworn in as premier, her office asked for a briefing on the cases. Subsequent emails critiqued the prosecutors' assessment of the charges and pushed back on the characterizations of the protest.
"This is so improper on so many levels — it's pure interference with Crown independence," said one source with knowledge of the correspondence.
The revelation comes just days after Smith herself backtracked from comments about two instances when she said she had contacted Crown prosecutors, subsequently clarifying that "at no time" had she communicated directly with prosecutors.
In a statement provided to CBC Thursday evening, the premier's office said Smith has not been in contact with Crown prosecutors and has no knowledge of anyone on her staff doing so.
"This is a serious allegation," reads the statement. "If a staff member has been in touch with a Crown Prosecutor, appropriate action will be taken."
Last winter, more than a dozen people were charged following a blockade at the Canada-U.S. border in protest of COVID-related restrictions and vaccine mandates. Four sets of cases — ranging from weapons and mischief charges to conspiracy to commit murder offences — are currently making their way through the courts in Lethbridge.
Crown's office won't comment on emails
CBC News asked Kim Goddard, the assistant deputy minister of the justice department, about the correspondence. Alberta Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson Michelle Davio would not provide a "yes" or "no" answer when asked repeatedly if the assistant deputy minister (ADM) had viewed the emails.
The same question was asked of prosecutor Steven Johnston, the deputy chief of specialized prosecutions and the Crown assigned to all Coutts-related cases.
Davio wrote in an email that Goddard did "not recall" viewing the emails but said "it is difficult to say with 100 per cent confidence that neither Kim [Goddard] nor Steve [Johnston] have seen the emails that you have described but not provided."
"As the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service (ACPS) has not been provided with the emails, we are unable to provide a comment," wrote Davio.
Report any communication from political staff: internal email to prosecutors
CBC News has obtained a copy of an internal email sent last Friday by Goddard to Alberta prosecutors after Smith made comments about being in contact with prosecutors, which her office later clarified as the premier using "imprecise" language. Smith added she'd only spoken with the attorney general and his deputy.
In the email, Goddard reassured prosecutors that she is committed to following the ACPS's code of conduct, which dictates that prosecutorial discretion must be free from improper pressures or influences.
"In the rare occasions that information about a particular prosecution has been requested, the proper processes have been followed," said Goddard.
The ADM went on to say she will only provide information to the attorney general or deputy attorney general.
"I will not brief other elected officials or any political staffers on details involving individual cases," wrote Goddard.
"If you are ever approached by any elected official or political staffer to discuss one of your cases it is imperative that you report such communication to your chief prosecutor or myself immediately."
Tensions and public interest
There has been tension between the ministry of justice and the premier's office when it comes to cases before the courts, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CBC News.
They explained Justice Minister Tyler Shandro and his staff were not involved in the emails sent to ACPS lawyers — and the ministry has been trying to reinforce the independence of prosecutorial decisions for months.
Last Friday, Smith said definitively that she had not been in contact with Crown prosecutors. That followed two previous occasions where the premier stated she'd requested a review of the COVID-related cases and asked prosecutors whether it was worth pursuing certain cases.
Emails originating from Premier Danielle Smith's office went to the Alberta Crown prosecutors' office regarding Coutts blockade charges, sources tell CBC News. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)
In a December interview with Rebel News, Smith had questioned whether the cases are in the public interest to pursue and if there is a reasonable likelihood of conviction.
"I've put it to the prosecutors, and I've asked them to do a review of the cases with those two things in mind. And I'm hopeful that we'll see a true turning of the page," she said.
"And so do you continue on in prosecuting one when the public has moved on? That's the big question that the Crown has got to to come to terms with."
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