EXCLUSIVE: Lukaszuk named as early source for NDP-linked outlet in Caylan Ford trial

CALGARY — Things have taken a turn in former UCP nomination candidate Caylan Ford’s defamation trial as former Alberta deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk has been named as one of Press Progress’ early sources when Facebook Messenger messages linked to Ford began to circulate.The evidence emerged during the cross-examination of Press Progress editor Luke LeBrun in Calgary on Thursday, where Ford is suing multiple defendants including the CBC, Toronto Star, and the Broadbent Institute, of which Press Progress is the publishing arm.Ford alleges defamatory reporting from these outlets in 2019 during her nomination race in the riding of Calgary-Mountainview destroyed her reputation and personal life, starting when Press Progress published a story on some of the Facebook Messenger messages on March 18, 2019 — the eve of the election.The revelation of Lukaszuk’s involvement came through a transcript reviewed in court and obtained by the Western Standard of a January 2019 phone call between LeBrun and a redacted individual who the Press Progress editor revealed on the stand was the current proponent of the Forever Canada petition..Former UCP insider crafted 'bombshell' stories, selected evidence for 'devastating' impact on Caylan Ford.Lukaszuk had sent Press Progress an email containing a screenshot of one of the exchanges between Ford and political strategist Karim Jivraj earlier in January, which showed Ford discussing having to acquire an Alberta driver’s licence to prove her residency as part of her potential campaign.Another screenshot of Ford telling Jivraj she would “support” a carbon tax was also included in the email.During the phone call, LeBrun thanked Lukaszuk for reaching out to him and added he was ready to protect the identity of informants but also wanted to ensure his outlet was “putting out accurate stuff.”Lukaszuk told the editor of the NDP-linked outlet he had been receiving damaging material about the UCP and then-Alberta Premier Jason Kenney from multiple directions.“I'm getting a lot of this stuff landing on my desk from all over the place on UCP and Kenney but this one is really interesting because the fella with whom she was having this exchange on a variety of topics,” Lukaszuk said.“Obviously she thought he was a good friend of hers and she will soon reconsider, but he oddly enough is actually a candidate running federally as a Conservative in Calgary.”Lukaszuk went on to say the candidate — who was Jivraj — did not want his name public but was willing to talk and “affirm" the authenticity of the material.It is believed that at the time Jivraj was passing some information on to Lukaszuk as he was a known disseminator of information and had made several posts regarding Ford on his social media accounts.“I shared with [Jivraj], I said ‘you know, it seems to me abundantly obvious that if she sees those screenshots or if she's reminded of these conversations, it won't take [Ford] long to figure out who it is,’” Lukaszuk said..Press Progress editor says outlet verified evidence before publishing explosive Caylan Ford claims .“He agrees with that but he simply just doesn't want his name floating around because he feels that Kenney's going to go after him.”The former deputy premier provided LeBrun with Jivraj’s phone number and told him that Jivraj had already spoken with other media outlets, which he believed, included the CBC and the Calgary Herald.He also alleged UCP party members had protected Ford because of her credentials and value to the campaign.Lukaszuk said that there was another source who could be helpful to Press Progress — Mark Hlady, the former UCP MLA for Calgary-Mountainview — who Lukaszuk said, “was a candidate who got disqualified so that she could be nominated.”“There is a fellow that I would probably talk to, but he has more screenshots that I don't have that speak to a variety of other topics, but apparently she has much more extensively spoken about carbon tax and Kenney's personality,” Lukaszuk said..He told LeBrun later in the conversation that while he thought Ford was definitely “an accomplished, bright, woman” who comes across as very “mainstream,” he added Jivraj told him that once you get to know her “she's anything but, she's extremely socially conservative.”The call ended with Lukaszuk telling LeBrun that “there’s other stuff coming.”In a text message exchange after the call, between LeBrun and Press Progress Alberta reporter Stephen Magusiak, LeBrun confirmed he had just talked with Lukaszuk and that Jivraj was the source of the Ford screenshots.“Interesting. It would be common knowledge in the UCP that it’s him by now,” Magusiak said.LeBrun added that Lukaszuk was going to be sending him more material to review and that he was told Kenney “wants to make Ford his education minister” and that she “weirds him the hell out.”He went on to tell Magusiak later in the conversation that Jivraj’s beef with Ford “might be more personal than he is letting on, but overall his story sounds legit.”Ford’s $7.65 million defamation trial is ongoing at the Court of King’s Bench in Calgary.

EXCLUSIVE: Lukaszuk named as early source for NDP-linked outlet in Caylan Ford trial

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