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OTTAWA – Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s former chief of staff returns to the witness stand today in Ottawa to continue giving his side of the story at Conservative Senator Mike Duffy’s fraud, breach of trust and bribery trial.
During his much-anticipated appearance on Wednesday, Nigel Wright told the judge about what was known inside the Prime Minister’s Office as the “scenario for repayment.”
That was a plan to make Duffy’s expenses scandal quietly go away by saying the senator had possibly made a mistake in his claims, rather than suggesting Duffy had done anything wrong.Under questioning from Crown attorney Jason Neubauer, Wright made it clear he didn’t tell Harper that the deal involved someone else paying Duffy’s contested expenses, but did say that several of Harper’s closest aides were in the know.
In the end, the chairman of the Conservative party’s financial wing balked at the final price tag of $90,000 in expenses plus Duffy’s legal costs, which is when Wright testified that he made a quick decision to pay it himself.
Duffy has pleaded not guilty to 31 charges in connection with his Senate office, living and travel expenses. His lawyer, Donald Bayne, has maintained that if his client is guilty of anything, it is administrative errors, and not criminal behaviour.
Bayne will begin his cross-examination of Wright today.
