A dejected Rahim Jaffer gives the thumbs up after falling behind in the Edmonton-Strathcona riding at Tory headquarters on Oct. 14, 2008.Perry Mah
Conservatives are furious with political power couple Helena Guergis and Rahim Jaffer after yet more revelations that question their behaviour and judgment, including suggestions Mr. Jaffer was telling business associates he still had sway with the Prime Minister.
"People who have worked very hard for the Conservatives are livid at the disrespect shown by the Jaffer-Guergis duo to the public and the party they are supposed to care about," a senior Conservative strategist told The Globe.
And Stephen Harper's official spokesman, Dimitri Soudas, said it is "absurd" to suggest Mr. Jaffer has any sway in government. "The accusations that the Prime Minister's Office opened the door to Rahim Jaffer or his business partners and associates is false. It is also absurd."
The Liberals, meanwhile, say the Prime Minister's Office has a lot of explaining to do. "I think we are entering an entirely new realm here," a top official in Michael Ignatieff's office said. "We are looking into this."
In a lengthy investigative article this morning, the Toronto Star details the events that led to charges of drunk drinking and cocaine possession being leveled against Mr. Jaffer last September.
Prior to his arrest north of the city that night, Mr. Jaffer had been in Toronto at a boozy dinner that included "busty hookers," according to the article. He was there with financier Nazim Gillani, who according to the Toronto Star operates a company that is under investigation for possible investment fraud.
The article says Mr. Jaffer left the clear impression he had pull in the PMO and could provide government grants and money for business opportunities. Although he was defeated in his Edmonton riding in the 2008 election, he apparently continues to use his MP business card.
Star reporter Kevin Donovan said it took him three weeks to put together the article and it started with a tip to look into Mr. Gillani's activities.
"I was able to connect Mr. Gillani and Mr. Jaffer through documents and interviews," he told The Globe this morning. "As it often happens in stories like this, one interview leads to another, and there was a fair bit of night-time reporting at odd hours, meeting sources, developing new contacts and lines of inquiry.
"My first calls, after the initial tip, were to Mr. Gillani and Mr. Jaffer. I was disappointed that neither of them agreed to a proper interview."
Mr. Donovan's efforts paid off, however. His front-page exclusive has official Ottawa buzzing non-stop about the revelations.
"People are furious and upset at Rahim and Helena," the Tory strategist says. "It seems like every day one of them is in the news for horrific judgment calls."
He calls it "laughable" that Mr. Jaffer, according to the report, is peddling the fact he has sway with Stephen Harper. "The PM lost faith in Jaffer a long time ago. It appears Rahim's one-time associates were equally inept to believe that Rahim had access to the PM."
The couple - Ms. Guergis is the minister for the status of women - have been under fire since Mr. Jaffer's arrest and subsequent plea bargain last month. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of careless driving and was fined; the charges of drinking and driving, speeding and cocaine possession were dropped.
Ms. Guergis also attracted controversy after her public outburst at the Charlottetown airport. At that time, many Tories expressed disgust at her behaviour and came out strongly against her.
The junior minister came under fire again when it was revealed that some of her constituency staff were writing favourable letters about her to the local newspapers. And then the Liberals asked for the ethics commissioner to investigate a mortgage on her home in Ottawa to ensure no favours were given in the awarding of it.
So far, however, Ms. Guergis has the support of the Prime Minister despite repeated calls for her dismissal. A senior Conservative official reiterated that support to The Globe today, saying she is doing a good job as Minister. The Tory official noted that while "screaming" in an airport is "unacceptable," she shouldn't be removed from cabinet because her husband was hanging out with "hookers" and "shysters."
Asked about the latest bombshell this morning, a spokesman for Ms. Guergis said "Rahim Jaffer is a private citizen." Martin Paquet added: "This is a personal matter and we will not comment any further."
(File photo: The Canadian Press)