The Senate Scandal Continues: RCMP charges Senators Marc Harb & Patrick Brazeau

The RCMP has charged two senators Marc Harb and Patrick Brazeau and declared the investigation into others was still underway. One week into February and the Senate Scandal is back. Today we look at the charges in the Upper House and the implications for the leaders in the Other House.

The RCMP has proceeded to charge Mr. Brazeau and Mr. Harb with one count each of breach of trust and fraud under Sections 122 and 380 of the Criminal Code. Both Mr. Brazeau and Mr. Harb will be appearing in court at a later date ... These investigations were detailed and involved careful consideration and examination of evidence, including financial statements, bank records and expense claims dating back to 2003.RCMP Assistant Commissioner Gilles Michaud

The Senate expense scandal is once again back in the headlines. Yesterday, the RCMP Assistant Commissioner Gilles Michaud announced charges against former Conservative and Liberal senators -- Patrick Brazeau and Mac Harb. The two were being investigated, along with former Conservative senators Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin, in relation to expense claims and living allowances.

Before resigning last year, Mr. Harb paid back $231,000 in travel and living expenses he had claimed, under orders from the Senate internal economic committee.

Sean May is Mac Harb's lawyer. We reached him in Ottawa.

We did try to contact former Conservative Senator Patrick Brazeau for his reaction to the charges filed against him by the RCMP. We received no response from him.

The Senate Scandal rages on and with the next federal election just on the horizon a year from now--- Conservatives and Liberals find themselves once again in a political minefield.

For more on the political fall out, we convened three parliament hill watchers:

• Heather Scoffield is the Ottawa Bureau Chief for The Canadian Press.

• Chris Hall is National Affairs Editor for CBC News. He was in Ottawa.

• Norman Spector is a former Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and columnist. He was in Victoria.
  

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This segment was produced by The Current's Sujata Berry, Peter Mitton and Alexa Huffman.