http://www.canada.com/national/nati...ab-0b13e54668c9

quote:

OTTAWA - Paul Martin will not suspend senior election campaign aides and other key supporters who have been caught up in a criminal investigation of a British Columbia drug trafficking and money-laundering scheme. The Prime Minister's Office said yesterday it has not been contacted by the RCMP about police raids involving prominent Liberal supporters of Mr. Martin's leadership campaign and suggested the investigation centres on "provincial matters" unrelated to federal politics. Scott Reid, the Prime Minister's senior advisor, said Mr. Martin has no knowledge of the criminal probe and does not believe it involves any activities involving his leadership campaign in B.C. "This entire matter is very puzzling," Mr Reid said. "Mr. Martin's office has not been contacted by the RCMP. We have not had any requests to help them in terms of the provision of any kind of information and we don't know what the nature of the police inquiry is. Obviously, it is related to provincial matters." The RCMP have been tight-lipped about raids on the offices of aides to two provincial Cabinet ministers. The aides were important players in Mr. Martin's leadership campaign. A search warrant was also executed at the office of a lobbying firm connected to Mr. Martin's chief B.C. leadership organizer, Erik Bornman. The RCMP also questioned Mark Marissen, a key Martin ally and chairman of the B.C. federal Liberal election campaign. He is the husband of B.C.'s Deputy Premier, Christy Clark. None of the men has been charged with any crime. Chuck Strahl, a Canadian Alliance MP from B.C., accused Mr. Martin of failing the test of leadership, saying he should be "burning up the phone lines" to determine whether his trusted supporters are implicated in criminal matters. "I can't believe he would say there are police raids on several of my key folks in B.C., but it doesn't really matter and saying, 'You know, this is just a provincial concern,'" Mr. Strahl said. "I mean there is a criminal investigation here and, at the very least, he should be making sure that there is nothing to it or nothing that compromises his position as Prime Minister or his campaign people." Mr. Strahl said Mr. Martin should ask any of the B.C. campaign workers who were questioned by the RCMP to step aside until their names have been cleared. David Basi was fired as a senior aide to B.C. Finance Minister Gary Collins on Monday. Bob Virk, who worked for B.C. Transport Minister Judith Reid, was suspended. Both men helped Mr. Martin in the recent leadership race. Bill Cunningham, the president of the federal wing of the B.C. party, said there is no reason for anyone to step aside until the criminal investigation is complete.

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aka Tits McGee
aka Chesty LaRue
aka Busty St. Claire