An RCMP blacklist of Freedom Convoy sympathizers was emailed to securities regulators nationwide to share with individual members. The Mounties would not comment on distribution of the email to potentially thousands of financial advisors..According to Blacklock's Reporter, police issued the email under a February 15 Emergency Economic Measures Order that resulted in the freezing of $7.8 million in bank and credit union accounts. The email asked that investment dealers “determine on a continuing basis whether they are in possession or control of a property that is owned, held or controlled” by a Freedom Convoy sympathizer..Investment dealers were told to check clients lists and report any suspicions “without delay” to the RCMP. The blacklist was identified as containing “personal information.” It was unencrypted..The Mounties last Tuesday disclosed the sharing of the blacklist with lobbyists like the Mutual Fund Dealers Association. The list included convoy supporters’ names, birth dates, phone numbers and other personal information. The information was divulged by request of Conservative MP Adam Chambers (Simcoe North, Ont.)..“The government knowingly or negligently spread misinformation about who had final authority to freeze accounts,” Chambers said in an earlier interview. “They were making it up as they went,” he added..Police never disclosed the notices to investment dealers when questioned at parliamentary hearings. Michael Duheme, deputy RCMP commissioner, testified May 10 only bank and credit union accounts and bitcoin wallets were targeted. No account holders were ever charged, he said..“We submitted information to the banks and they froze 257 financial products by different institutions,” said Deputy Commissioner Duheme. “These products would include bank and corporate accounts and credit cards.”.“Can you tell us what information was provided to the banks?” asked Senator Claude Carignan (Que.). Duheme replied that they provided the necessary information to the banks for them to determine "whether or not they had to freeze the funds.".Members of the Joint Committee on the Declaration of the Emergency expressed frustration with testimony at hearings. “One word comes to mind,” said Conservative MP Larry Brock (Brantford-Brant, Ont.): “It was frustration.”.“Witnesses were refusing to answer things they knew would eventually become public,” said New Democrat MP Matthew Green (Hamilton Centre, Ont.). Green added he had filed Access To Information requests for basic facts withheld from the committee..“Through the media and through Access To Information reports we were able to establish more facts over two months through the media doing their work than the witnesses that were present here,” said Green, adding: “We had many witnesses come to this committee and just flat out refuse to cooperate. I think that’s a problem.”
