Coun. Steve Sampson praised for handling of blackmail situation
Peggy MacDonald | CBC News | Posted: April 8, 2016 9:20 PM | Last Updated: April 8, 2016
'Somebody stooped to a new level,' says Sampson's council colleague
A Richmond County councillor who says someone tried to blackmail him this week over a call to a male escort agency made during a trip on municipal business is being praised by a colleague for his handling of the situation.
Coun. Steve McNeil commends Steve Sampson for going to the RCMP and confronting the anonymous blackmail attempt head-on.
Relations between councillors in Richmond County have occasionally been acrimonious in the last year, with the public taking sides on the issues of downsizing council and the travel expenses of councillors and administrators.
McNeil says threatening to expose a man's personal business over politics goes beyond the pale.
"Yes, the public needs to needs to know about our expenses and they have a right to," he said.
"But anytime that there's a line crossed between what the public needs to know and what our private lives are.… I don't think any elected official should have to be put through that."
'Stooped to a new level'
Sampson told reporters Thursday that he received a letter earlier this week containing a photocopy of a hotel bill he incurred while travelling in 2014 on county business. The bill listed a call to a male escort agency.
Sampson said the letter demanded he resign and never run for public office again. Instead, the councillor said he went to police and has nothing to be ashamed of.
McNeil says it's a "new low" that somebody would comb through a receipt to review phone charges.
"Somebody stooped to a new level," he said. "You investigate to see where each one of them phone calls were made to? It's gone beyond, as far as I'm concerned."
'Just awful'
In St. Peters on Friday, the opinions of residents were mixed.
"Politics is politics, I guess," said Willie Carter.
But Linda Poxon said she supports Sampson completely.
"He's worked so hard for the last 25 years for the people here," she said. "Anyone who goes to him for help on any kind of a problem, he works on it; he tries to help you."
She describes the alleged blackmail attempt as "just awful." She's hopeful the RCMP will find out who is behind it.
Sampson was warden when citizens began asking for a forensic audit of expenses. He said at the time that such an audit was unnecessary and too expensive. He has since reversed his position.
"I think it may be going a little bit too far," resident Gary Gibson said of the blackmail allegations. "But councillor Sampson could have stopped all of this months ago when we wanted the vote for the forensic audit, and he said no."