Ottawa

The hunt for Pierre Poutine comes up blank

Glen McGregor and Stephen Maher uncover a new twist.

Nearly a year after the investigation began, the agency is trying to determine why database records provided by the party appear to be missing entries that could help identify who downloaded the phone numbers used to make fraudulent robocalls, according to a source familiar with the probe … The investigators have inquired about CIMS logs for one particular user in the party’s headquarters. The logs show blanks between this person’s CIMS logon and logoff on the day the Guelph data was accessed, according to the source.

Whatever this may or may not amount to—and let’s stress that there’s no proof here of really anything—the NDP has already issued a Watergate reference (see below).

Update 4:51pm. And below the NDP release, a statement from the Conservative Party.

NDP REALITY CHECK: Electoral Fraud Cover-up: Conservatives have their Rose Mary Woods moment

In 1973, Rose Mary Woods famously erased portions of Richard Nixon’s Oval Office tapes, including a crucial conversation concerning the Watergate burglary, which was deleted forever.

Something similar seems to have happened at Conservative Party headquarters with records that had to do with the ongoing Conservative voter fraud scandal.

According to new media reports, Elections Canada investigators are trying to determine the scope of voter suppression committed by the Conservatives during the last election and the extent the Conservative War Room might have been involved.

“The investigators have inquired about CIMS logs for one particular user in the party’s headquarters. The logs show blanks between this person’s CIMS logon and logoff on the day the Guelph data was accessed, according to the source.” Stephen Maher and Glen McGregor, Postmedia News, April 16, 2012

After months of claiming they were cooperating with Elections Canada, Conservatives must now explain why someone in the Conservative War Room apparently erased this crucial information.

A statement sent out by the Conservative party this morning.

Contrary to media reports, the Conservative Party of Canada is not under investigation for what went on in Guelph. In fact, the Party proactively reached out to Elections Canada and continues to assist them in any way we can. That includes handing over any documents or records that may assist them.

All calls from the national campaign to RackNine were to set up legitimate calls, be it announcements for events or get out the vote purposes.

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