Demonstrators gather as a truck convoy blocks the highway at the busy U.S. border crossing in Coutts, Alta., on Jan. 31, 2022.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
The Alberta government could not find “evidence of e-mail contact” between Premier Danielle Smith’s staff and the prosecution service after a weekend investigation sparked by an allegation someone in her office tried to persuade officials to rethink criminal charges tied to protests at the U.S. border.
The province’s Justice Department, in a statement Monday, said the Alberta Public Service and internal information technology experts reviewed e-mails sent or received by “relevant prosecutors and staff in the Premier’s office” over a stretch covering four months. Ms. Smith, who previously campaigned for amnesty for people facing charges related to COVID-19 violations, took office in October.
Ms. Smith’s office catapulted into turmoil Thursday after the CBC alleged one of the Premier’s staff members last year sent e-mails to the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service, challenging its perspective on cases related to last winter’s protests in Coutts, Alta. The CBC subsequently updated the story to say its reporters had not viewed the e-mails. The story also did not indicate who sent or received them.
Ms. Smith announced the review on a radio call-in show Saturday; the governing United Conservative Party caucus met that afternoon to address the allegations.
Charles Mainville, a spokesman for Alberta Justice, said the review included roughly 900 inboxes and covered nearly one million incoming, outgoing and deleted e-mails. The phrase “relevant prosecutors” covered prosecutors who worked on files related to the Coutts blockade, or in the same office as those who worked on the files. Staff in the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service were also included, he said.
He noted the search would have captured e-mails from any personal accounts to a government of Alberta account. The public service focused exclusively on e-mail communication and Ms. Smith’s office requested the review, Mr. Mainville said. The department of justice, he said, could not comment on the validity of the allegations contained in the CBC article.
Kelly Cryderman: Danielle Smith has some explaining to do
Chuck Thompson, the head of public affairs at CBC, said the news organization stands by its story. Regarding the discrepancy between the government’s statements about the IT review and CBC’s allegations, he said he cannot disclose details regarding confidential sourcing.
The Premier, in press release after the statement from the justice department, said she backs her employees and is “grateful for the non-partisan” review.
“I am confident in the integrity and professionalism of my staff,” Ms. Smith said in her statement. “I have full faith that the public service conducted a thorough and comprehensive review.”
She added: “An independent Crown prosecution service, free from political interference, is integral to the preservation of public confidence in the justice system.”
Rakhi Pancholi, an NDP MLA, said the public service’s IT review is insufficient. “Danielle Smith’s internal review is a cover-up,” she told reporters. The Official Opposition, once again, called for an independent investigation, similar to the one undertaken after Kaycee Madu called the Edmonton police chief after receiving a distracted driving ticket. Mr. Madu was, at the time, the justice minister. He is now one of Ms. Smith’s deputy premiers.
“Smith’s refusal to commission a fully independent investigation strongly suggests that she has something to hide,” Ms. Pancholi said.
Kimberley Goddard, the assistant deputy minister of the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service, in a statement reiterated that the weekend IT search found “no evidence of contact” between the ACPS and the Premier’s office regarding prosecutions.
“Continued suggestions of impropriety without evidence are not warranted,” Ms. Goddard said. “This unsubstantiated speculation harms the reputation of the ACPS and does a disservice to the dedicated professionals in ACPS who carry out their work with unwavering integrity.”
Ms. Smith, while campaigning for the leadership of the UCP, said she would explore amnesty for people charged in relation to COVID, citing pastors and business owners as examples.
The Premier in December and earlier this month made a series of conflicting statements regarding her contact with Alberta’s prosecutors. She twice stated she was in contact with prosecutors about whether charges were in the public interest and had a reasonable chance of conviction. After this stirred questions about political interference, Ms. Smith released a statement saying she used “imprecise” language and was only in contact with the attorney-general and deputy attorney-general.
With a report from Alanna Smith
Carrie Tait