May 25, 2023
A civic group is expressing concern that a senior adviser to special rapporteur David Johnston appears to have donated more than $7,500 to the Liberal Party of Canada.
Democracy Watch wrote in a May 24 press release that a search of the Elections Canada database found that Johnston's aide Sheila Block "appears to have donated a total of $7,593.38 (listed under 'Sheila Block' and 'Sheila R. Block' ) only Liberal Party of Canada from 2006 to 2022.
A search on the Elections Canada website shows a person named Sheila Block donated to the Liberal Party from 2006 to 2022.
The group said Block did not appear to have donated to any other party.
Block is a senior trial and appellate attorney at Torys LLP.
In his first report since being appointed special rapporteur on May 23, Johnston said he had "retained" Block after accepting the role in March to help him conduct interviews and "obtain, review and analyze materials" he expected to conduct in the year investigation into foreign interference in the 2019 and 2021 Canadian general elections.
Block's donations to the Liberal Party appear to have mostly come in 2006, in which year she donated $3,800 to the federal party. Block appears to have made her last donation to the party in October 2022 of $442.20. Prior to that, Block appears to have made two donations of $500 each in March 2021.
The Epoch Times contacted Block for comment on the matter, but he did not respond by press time.
Conflict of interest complaint
On May 23, Democracy Watch also announced that it would file a complaint with the Office of the Federal Ethics Commissioner, alleging that Johnston is in violation of the Conflict of Interest Act in the performance of his appointed role as special rapporteur due to his previous contacts with Prime Minister Trudeau's family. .
Speaking to reporters in Ottawa the same day, Johnston said former Supreme Court Justice Frank Iacobucci told him before taking the job that there was no conflict of interest in the matter.
"I have no doubt at all that I was in some conflict of interest and I have no doubt at all about my impartiality," Johnston said.
The special rapporteur and former governor-general said a public inquiry into foreign election interference should not take place because classified information informing the matter could not be publicly disclosed.
All federal opposition leaders criticized Johnston's decision, while Trudeau welcomed it, saying he had "full confidence" in Johnston's work.
"I have committed to listen very carefully and follow the recommendations that the former governor general has made, and he has explained and justified his thought processes and we will follow his recommendations," Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa on the 23rd.
