Newsmaker of the day: Patrick Brazeau

The trial of Mike Duffy has already provided a rich tapestry, including revelations from the senator’s personal diary, questions about makeup, and accusations of a puppy. Thursday’s episode of The Mike Duffy Show featured a surprise guest appearance by Patrick Brazeau.

“I’m here to support my independent senator,” the similarly suspended Brazeau told reporters as he arrived at the Ottawa courthouse this morning. Informed of Brazeau’s arrival, Duffy’s lawyer, Donald Bayne, told CTV that Brazeau’s appearance was not arranged by them.

According to the Canadian Press, Brazeau took a seat at the back of the courtroom and took copious notes as the trial of Mike Duffy proceeded. Brazeau, who is facing his own charges of fraud and breach of trust, told the Toronto Star that there are a “lot of similar issues” between Duffy’s situation and his own.

Duffy and Brazeau were among the cohort of Senate appointees that Stephen Harper nominated on Dec. 22, 2008 (Pamela Wallin was among that group too). Both Duffy and Brazeau became embroiled in expense-related controversies and both were subsequently suspended from the Senate. But Brazeau is also facing charges of assault and sexual assault for an incident in 2013 and was in a Gatineau courtroom earlier this month for a trial on those counts. He was also arrested and charged in relation to incidents in April 2014 and October 2014.