Political operative Karim Jivraj’s defence in a defamation lawsuit former Alberta United Conservative Party candidate Caylan Ford brought against him has been declared invalid. .“Karim A. Jivraj is cited in civil contempt,” said Court of King’s Bench of Alberta Justice Lorena Harris in a decision. .“The Statement of Defence of Karim A. Jivraj, filed November 30, 2020, is hereby struck.” .The decision said Jivraj has to provide answers to all questions posed by Ford in her written interrogatories within one week. It said he has to pay her $7,500 in costs for being in contempt of court. .Ford was regarded as the UCP’s star candidate in the 2019 Alberta election, recruited by Premier Jason Kenney to run in Calgary-Mountain View. .READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: How a Conservative candidate worked with the NDP to bring down star UCP candidate.Jivraj destroyed Ford’s candidacy by planting false stories about her in Press Progress. Edited parts of private philosophical conversations involving her were given to Press Progress, with media claiming it was evidence of her “white supremacist” or “white nationalist” views..She ended up resigning her candidacy to avoid becoming a distraction to the UCP’s campaign. .Jivraj was found in contempt of court on a previous occasion in May for failing to provide written answers requested of him. Court of King’s Bench Justice Richard Neufeld purged his contempt of court in June and ordered him to pay $6,500 in costs. .Justice April Grosse requested Jivraj provide financial records in aid of execution. The decision said Jivraj was being penalized for failing to provide questions to Ford’s written interrogatories and not disclosing financial records. .Ford filed a defamation lawsuit against Jivraj, Press Progress, the NDP, and various other people and entities for the smear campaign against her in 2020. .She alleged in her application the defendants were acting in a coordinated, premeditated manner to force her resignation by publishing and promoting defamatory comments. Cumulative damages total about $7.7 million plus costs. .“For that reason, whenever possible, we need to impose costs on those who wield career — and potentially life-destroying accusations frivolously and dishonestly for their own advantage — not by playing their socially destructive game, subjecting them to retributive humiliation, or unleashing a mob against them, but by holding them accountable for their actions under the law,” she said..Jivraj could not be reached for comment in time for publication.
