Findlay calls leaked Penticton caucus tape a smear, not a crime

PENTICTON — Conservative Party of BC Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay says a leaked recording from her first official caucus meeting is a political smear, not evidence of a criminal offence.The audio dropped Thursday morning on the anonymous X account @thefindlayfiles, the same handle that in July posted an alleged leadership-campaign chat in which Findlay referred to Richmond-Bridgeport MLA Teresa Wat as “CCP.” The new clip is presented as Findlay answering a question inside a confidential, MLAs-only session in Penticton on July 2 and 3.“If someone was willing to step aside, I could give them a role as a senior advisor in their same portfolio so that they’re very much involved and around,” the voice on the tape says. “But, you know, it would allow for a by-election.”.Findlay answered on X about five hours later. She said she could not determine whether the file is authentic, then treated the content as hers anyway..“On July 2 & 3, the CPBC Caucus held a confidential meeting, MLAs only, in Penticton to discuss caucus business,” she wrote. “Virtually all BC Conservative MLAs were in attendance. Although unable to determine authenticity, it appears that an anonymous X account has posted a surreptitious recording of a response to a question about our future plans.”.The poster, she said, had made “the preposterous suggestion that some of these comments may constitute a criminal offence.”“Any fair-minded person listening to the recording will immediately realize that this is not a good faith allegation of wrongdoing,” Findlay wrote. “It is a weak attempt at a political smear job and nothing more. These were normal political discussions that respect the boundaries of the law and ethics.”The account did cite the Criminal Code. It also said, in the same post, that it was not fully alleging an offence had occurred.Sections 124 and 125 of the Criminal Code deal with selling or purchasing an office and with negotiating an appointment or resignation in expectation of a reward, advantage or benefit. Both are hybrid offences. The Findlay Files post quoted the existence of those sections, then wrote: “To be clear: The Findlay Files is not asserting that a criminal offence has occurred. Nothing cited here establishes that Gasper was promised any position before she resigned.”The questions it left on the table were narrower. What was discussed with Abbotsford-Mission MLA Reann Gasper before she resigned? What, if anything, was offered, by whom, and when? Do the known facts now warrant an RCMP investigation?A high-level source within the BC Conservative Party who spoke to Western Standard said Gasper chose to step down unexpectedly, voluntarily, and with no inducement whatsoever..The now Independent MLA for Delta South told a different story this week.In late June and early July, according to Paton, Findlay's chief of staff, Chris Delaney, phoned him twice and raised a two-year agriculture adviser role paying the equivalent of an MLA’s salary if Paton stepped down. British Columbia MLAs earn $122,043 a year. Paton said the conversation continued in Penticton. He refused. He left caucus on August 24.Findlay has denied that any job, salary or position was offered in exchange for Paton’s seat. “At no point was there any offer or discussion regarding MLA Ian Paton stepping down from his seat in exchange for a job of any description, salary, or position,” she said in a written statement Monday. She later told reporters that some members were approached to step aside, that nobody was offered anything in exchange, and that talk of something “untoward” was “totally unfounded.”.The meeting where the recording occurred was advertised in June as the first official caucus gathering of her leadership. A July 7 caucus release called the same session proof the team was “more united than it has ever been,” with even Peter Milobar and John Rustad said to be fully onside. Milobar left August 14. Paton followed 10 days later. Rosalyn Bird quit Tuesday. Wat and Brennan Day both walked out Wednesday. Five sitting MLAs in 12 days.

Findlay calls leaked Penticton caucus tape a smear, not a crime

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