B.C. NDP caucus asks RCMP to investigate Rustad's claim of MLA blackmailers

The chair of British Columbia's NDP caucus has written to the RCMP requesting an investigation into allegations that former members of the B.C. Conservative Opposition tried to blackmail their ex-colleagues.

The letter from Stephanie Higginson to Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald comes after B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad wrote to his party's own caucus warning about the alleged blackmail by three MLAs and their staff.

On Monday, Rustad confirmed that he wrote a letter obtained by The Canadian Press in which he tells his caucus that their former colleagues and staff were threatening to release "blackmail materials," including secretly recorded phone conversations and text messages.

One of the former party members said Thursday that he welcomed a police investigation, saying Rustad made the blackmail allegations to "distract and change the conversation" about how his leadership was reconfirmed at the annual general meeting of the party. 

Independent Jordan Kealy said he had already asked for an audit of the leadership review. 

"Maybe the Conservative Party, if they've got nothing to hide, will then open their books and actually show to their constituents, voters and members, that they're telling the truth," Kealy said in an interview. 

Another of the former Conservatives, Dallas Brodie, said on social media platform X that Rustad had "painted himself into a corner" with a "big lie" about blackmail that he could not substantiate.

Higginson said in the open letter written on behalf of the NDP caucus that there's a significant public interest in determining the facts.

She said if any MLA or their staff are engaged in blackmail, British Columbians deserve to know, and perpetrators should be prosecuted.

Rustad said in an interview on Monday that he did not personally have recorded evidence of blackmail, but would not say if the party possessed it.

“As I said earlier, I am not sure what has been provided to our legal staff around it. I don’t personally have it," he said.

Asked if Rustad was available for an interview on Thursday, the B.C. Conservative Party said it had received advice not to comment further on the matter.

Higginson said British Columbians deserved to know whether Rustad has any evidence to support his accusations.

"Given the accusations of criminal activity, it seems appropriate for police to examine any relevant information in Mr. Rustad’s possession to determine if additional investigation and/or criminal charges are necessary," Higginson wrote.

Premier David Eby said earlier this week after learning of the blackmail allegations that Rustad needed to take the claims to police, and if he didn't, then the NDP would. 

"It is a profound and serious allegation that also strikes at the core of this place behind me and the public’s confidence in the fact that legislators and staff members need to be able to do their work for the people without interference," Eby said during a news conference outside the legislature on Tuesday. 

Tim Thielmann is the chief of staff for the new One BC party formed by Brodie and Tara Armstrong, who is the third ex-Conservative MLA.

He blamed Eby for the NDP calling in the police, saying it was "extremely irresponsible."

"By his own admission, he is relying upon John Rustad's claims of blackmail, and when John Rustad has been asked for evidence, he has been unable to provide a single shred," said Thielmann. 

He called the accusations in Rustad's letter to the Conservative caucus "desperate lies" that he "invented" to attack people exposing what happened at the party's annual general meeting. 

He said the case could "cross the threshold for public mischief." 

Brodie made the same argument in her social media post.

"If Rustad asks for a police investigation knowing his allegations are false, he might himself be committing the crime of public mischief under section 140 of the Criminal Code," she said.

"But if he doesn’t, he will have exposed his own big lie.

"And as for David Eby, he should know better than to attempt to instigate a police investigation when he admits to having absolutely no evidence of any wrongdoing."

Brodie was thrown out of the B.C. Conservatives over remarks about residential schools, prompting Armstrong and Kealy to quit the party in sympathy.

Kealy, who is not a member of the new One BC party, said Thursday that he was "completely fine" with the RCMP being called to investigate. 

“I've got nothing to hide if they want to talk to me,” said Kealy. 

"I have chosen to leave it to people that are in the position to properly investigate this thoroughly and to look into whether or not they're allegations being made falsely," said Kealy.

He later issued a statement calling Rustad a "desperate man."

“John Rustad is losing control, so he lashes out. He lies. He manipulates. He throws wild accusations into the wind hoping they’ll stick," he said.

Armstrong said on social media on Wednesday that "Rustad and Eby can throw around the accusations all they like but rest assured, the truth will always prevail."

Brodie has said Rustad and his team "rigged" the Conservatives' March annual general meeting that endorsed his "Team Rustad" slate of executive candidates, allegedly stacking the meeting with South Asian supporters paid "to vote the way Mr. Rustad wanted."

Rustad's letter denied any wrongdoing at the meeting.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito