Trudeau's top aide says election interference allegations 'don't add up' to her
Katie Telford is taking questions from MPs
Katie Telford, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's top adviser, said Friday her office has been following up on recent allegations regarding what her party knew about the Chinese government's attempts to interfere in the past two elections — but she added that some of the claims "don't add up" to her.
Telford, who has served as the prime minister's chief of staff since he won power back in 2015, fielded questions from MPs on the procedure and House affairs committee Friday about what she knew about the extent of Beijing's meddling.
The two-hours-plus meeting saw Telford — who has a top-secret security clearance — repeatedly tell committee members she couldn't comment on sensitive intelligence matters. That led to some testy exchanges between her and opposition MPs.
WATCH | Cooper, Telford spar during House committee testimony
The committee has been digging into recent allegations, including reports by Global News last fall claiming that intelligence officials told Trudeau that China's consulate in Toronto had floated cash to at least 11 federal election candidates "and numerous Beijing operatives" who worked as campaign staffers in 2019.
"The connection that was being made between these candidates and the funds was inaccurate," Telford said.
She also said she couldn't provide specific details about what was inaccurate with those reports in a public setting.
"In my years in this job, I have seen a huge range of intelligence from all parts of the world. Some of it has been wrong, some of it right," Telford said.
"Some we may never know, or only with time will we learn if it's true."
Trudeau reads all documents he receives: Telford
Trudeau also has said he was never briefed about federal candidates receiving money from China. His national security and intelligence adviser, Jody Thomas, has also gone on record saying she's seen no evidence that any candidates in the 2019 federal election were influenced by financing from the Chinese government.
"Everything the prime minister receives he spends a lot of time with and he most definitely reads. So I can confirm that if there are documents that he received, he absolutely read them," said Telford.
The Globe and Mail has published reports alleging that Beijing tried to ensure the Liberals won a minority government in the last general election and worked to defeat Conservative candidates who were critical of China.
The Globe and Mail and Global stories are based mainly on confidential sources and intelligence documents. An independent panel tasked with overseeing the 2021 election did detect attempts at interference but concluded that foreign meddling did not affect the outcome.
Telford said her office has been following up on recent allegations.
"There have been a number of things that don't add up in the way that we know them, or that the officials are able to tell us about," she said.
Conservatives accuse Liberals of hiding the truth
Conservative MPs on the committee said Telford's responses invite more suspicion.
"She was unable or unwilling to even acknowledge that the prime minister had even read what was in his daily reading package," said MP Michael Barrett after Friday's meeting.
"It's a continuation by the Liberals to hide the truth from Canadians about what they knew about foreign interference by Beijing into our democratic process and we continue to be resolute that a open transparent process is required."
NDP MP Rachel Blaney used some of her time during the hearing to press for a public inquiry into foreign election interference.
Trudeau recently appointed former governor general David Johnston as a special rapporteur on the issue.
Johnston's decision on whether to recommend a public inquiry is expected next month.
Conservatives say Beijing texted candidate
During today's committee hearing, Conservatives alleged that their former caucus colleague Bob Saroya was warned in a text message from China's consul general in Toronto that he was going to lose in the 2021 election. Saroya had represented Markham—Unionville since 2015 but lost his seat in 2021.
Telford said she couldn't comment on the matter.
"I find it a bit incredible the prime minister's chief of staff couldn't speak to that," said Barrett.
When pressed for more information about the text, Barrett told reporters to contact the former MP for details.
CBC has reached out to Saroya for comment
MPs pushed for Telford to testify
Liberal MPs on the committee tried to prevent Friday's committee appearance from happening. They filibustered the House of Commons for hours, over the span of a heated two weeks, to stall a vote calling her to appear.
During her opening comments, Telford said she wasn't entirely sure she should even be appearing before the committee to field questions about national security. She said she agreed to appear "because I want Parliament to work."
Former Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) director Ward Elcock said he believes Telford answered questions as thoroughly as she could, given her national security restraints.
He said calls for Telford to testify were "always kind of silly."
"To be perfectly honest, I never thought that this had anything to do with reality. The call for Katie Telford [to appear] has been, more than anything, political grandstanding," Elcock said.
"There is no real reason to have Ms. Telford testify. There is probably very little, if anything, that she could contribute."
WATCH | MPs debate Telford's committee testimony
Conservative MP Michael Cooper, who brought forward the motion to call her as a witness, has called her a "critical witness to get to the heart of the scandal."
On Thursday, Prime Minister Trudeau said again that his government takes the threat of foreign interference in elections seriously and cited measures taken, including the establishment of an interference monitoring committee.
"Conversations with my chief of staff, Katie Telford, on this subject, I have had many of them, many of them over long periods of time," Trudeau told reporters in Regina.
"We have been talking about foreign interference for years."
The Privy Council Office tabled documents Friday that show Trudeau has received at least six briefings on foreign election interference since October 2018. The document adds the lists are not exhaustive because records of the briefings may be incomplete.
PCO shared the documents just hours before Teford's appearance, a move Barrett called an act of "bad faith."
WATCH | Telford says she's a 'consumer' of intelligence, doesn't brief PM on it
Clarifications
- This story has been updated to reflect that Bob Saroya represented his riding from 2015-2021.Apr 15, 2023 10:41 AM ET
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With files from Richard Raycraft
