Days before the UCP leadership election, with prospects of winning looking grim for candidate Brian Jean, his campaign manager communicated with political ‘fixer’ David Wallace..With bravado, Wallace promised Vitor Marciano that he’d “take her down,” referring to now Premier Danielle Smith..The Western Standard obtained partial screenshots of messages exchanged between Wallace and Marciano in late September and early October..“OK. Any useful Smith stuff consider putting it out there. If you wait too long, she wins and then Notley wins,” wrote Marciano in a September 27 message to Wallace..“You got it, I’ll take her down,” wrote Wallace..“Yeah,” replied Marciano and hour and-a-half later.. Marciano and Wallace exchangeMarciano and Wallace exchange .Wallace, who admitted he’s “been slamming Smith for months” and is on a mission to get the premier whose political policies he despises, failed to deliver for two reasons..He didn’t have a “bunch of stuff,” he told the Western Standard Friday..“If they’re dirty, they’re easy,” he said..But without an iota of evidence of “Smith being dirty” it “wasn’t easy” after all..Also, there was no money in it for him from the Jean campaign..“I said I’d ‘take her down.’ OK, but he’s not offering to pay me,” said Wallace.. Marciano and Wallace exchangeMarciano and Wallace exchange .“But work is ‘How much are you going to pay me, and where is the money?’”.“I’m not taking her down because I’m not getting paid. I wish somebody would pay me.”.Multiple sources told the Western Standard Wallace’s standard MO is to demand a $10,000 retainer with another $50,000 upon delivery of the “dirt.”.It appears he was trying to negotiate a deal with Marciano on September 28 in another partial screenshot of messages exchanged..Marciano responded: “I don’t do tradesies, but make your ask. Worst that happens is I say no.”.“No worries,” replied Wallace..Wallace alleged he was merely trying to negotiate a “trade of information.”.“I wanted to ask him a few questions about some people.”.The next day Wallace messaged Marciano..“Threw out a little nugget on Smith, just a taste.”.Wallace said he couldn’t recall what the nugget was..“Yeah, even spoke with 2 journos who read all the Klondike papers. They don’t think you have enough to put her close to the Nenshi thing,” wrote Marciano on October 1..This was inference to a failed attempt to entrap former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi into accepting dirty Russian bribe money which in now under police investigation.."Timeline is compressed, if you want to go, it has to start now to finish her by next week, time is tight,” replied Wallace..Where did it go from there?.“Nowhere. We never spoke again after that,” said Wallace..The premier said she is looking into the incident..“My office is looking into the allegations and will determine whether any actions taken against me as a then leadership candidate, were in any way inappropriate. Until then we will not be commenting further," Smith said..Marciano said his focus is now helping Smith govern..“During a leadership race everyone campaigns aggressively for their candidate. After party members decided the leadership question, we all united to serve Albertans," he said in a statement.."I get up every morning committed to doing everything in my power to ensure that Danielle Smith remains premier and that the United Conservative Party continues to serve as Alberta’s government.”
Days before the UCP leadership election, with prospects of winning looking grim for candidate Brian Jean, his campaign manager communicated with political ‘fixer’ David Wallace..With bravado, Wallace promised Vitor Marciano that he’d “take her down,” referring to now Premier Danielle Smith..The Western Standard obtained partial screenshots of messages exchanged between Wallace and Marciano in late September and early October..“OK. Any useful Smith stuff consider putting it out there. If you wait too long, she wins and then Notley wins,” wrote Marciano in a September 27 message to Wallace..“You got it, I’ll take her down,” wrote Wallace..“Yeah,” replied Marciano and hour and-a-half later.. Marciano and Wallace exchangeMarciano and Wallace exchange .Wallace, who admitted he’s “been slamming Smith for months” and is on a mission to get the premier whose political policies he despises, failed to deliver for two reasons..He didn’t have a “bunch of stuff,” he told the Western Standard Friday..“If they’re dirty, they’re easy,” he said..But without an iota of evidence of “Smith being dirty” it “wasn’t easy” after all..Also, there was no money in it for him from the Jean campaign..“I said I’d ‘take her down.’ OK, but he’s not offering to pay me,” said Wallace.. Marciano and Wallace exchangeMarciano and Wallace exchange .“But work is ‘How much are you going to pay me, and where is the money?’”.“I’m not taking her down because I’m not getting paid. I wish somebody would pay me.”.Multiple sources told the Western Standard Wallace’s standard MO is to demand a $10,000 retainer with another $50,000 upon delivery of the “dirt.”.It appears he was trying to negotiate a deal with Marciano on September 28 in another partial screenshot of messages exchanged..Marciano responded: “I don’t do tradesies, but make your ask. Worst that happens is I say no.”.“No worries,” replied Wallace..Wallace alleged he was merely trying to negotiate a “trade of information.”.“I wanted to ask him a few questions about some people.”.The next day Wallace messaged Marciano..“Threw out a little nugget on Smith, just a taste.”.Wallace said he couldn’t recall what the nugget was..“Yeah, even spoke with 2 journos who read all the Klondike papers. They don’t think you have enough to put her close to the Nenshi thing,” wrote Marciano on October 1..This was inference to a failed attempt to entrap former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi into accepting dirty Russian bribe money which in now under police investigation.."Timeline is compressed, if you want to go, it has to start now to finish her by next week, time is tight,” replied Wallace..Where did it go from there?.“Nowhere. We never spoke again after that,” said Wallace..The premier said she is looking into the incident..“My office is looking into the allegations and will determine whether any actions taken against me as a then leadership candidate, were in any way inappropriate. Until then we will not be commenting further," Smith said..Marciano said his focus is now helping Smith govern..“During a leadership race everyone campaigns aggressively for their candidate. After party members decided the leadership question, we all united to serve Albertans," he said in a statement.."I get up every morning committed to doing everything in my power to ensure that Danielle Smith remains premier and that the United Conservative Party continues to serve as Alberta’s government.”
