http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Ottaw...943796-sun.html

Feds paid ad exec $15M: Documents

By MARIA McCLINTOCK, Parliamentary Bureau

ONE OF the key ad executives at the centre of the sponsorship scandal was paid more than $15 million in expenses over four years by the federal government, the Sun has learned. Jean Lafleur and his company, Lafleur Communications, earned the millions between 1998 and 2002, documents obtained under Access to Information that detail additional cash the feds paid out to Lafleur.

The government refused to make public 24 pages of documents that show Lafleur's expenses in 1995 and 1996, citing that the information contained in them are part of an ongoing RCMP investigation into the $250-million federal sponsorship program.

Lafleur is scheduled to be the first witness to appear when the Gomery inquiry resumes in Montreal tomorrow.

The commission has heard in 1996 Lafleur got all $17 million worth of government sponsorship contracts, and often charged 17.9% commissions.

The inquiry has also heard former sponsorship head Chuck Guite, some politicians, and heads of Crown corporations were Lafleur's guests at his luxury box at the Molson Centre in Montreal, and often were treated to outings like salmon fishing expeditions.

The documents also show the bulk of Lafleur's expenses were filed when Pierre Tremblay was running the sponsorship program, after taking over from Guite in 1999, the documents show. Tremblay was the executive assistant to former federal public works minister Alfonso Gagliano. Tremblay died before he could testify at the commission.

The documents show that Lafleur submitted expenses to both Tremblay and Guite, including one for $1 million for "production management co-ordination of sponsorship activities," the documents show.

Lafleur also charged the feds $862,500 for "production services in support of the Serie Maurice Richard campaign"; $620,700 for production management of unspecified sponsorship events; and $219,216 for "partnership and related services to the Great Canadian Historical Legacy Writing Challenge and the seniors travel program" at Health Canada.

Conservative waste watchdog John Williams was shocked at the magnitude of Lafleur's expenses.

"I am truly astounded. This would strongly suggest criminality," Williams said.

"This is why it's important that we get the bank statements and the cancelled cheques."

Williams said he hopes the ad execs testifying at the commission this week are more forthcoming than they were when they appeared before the Commons public accounts committee last year.

"I think Canadians' anger is going to erupt all over again," when details of the money trail are revealed, Williams said. "They're going to demand blood."

NDP MP Pat Martin agreed.

"It looks like our worst fears are realized, that they were wheel- barrelling money to Lafleur," Martin said. "I challenge you to find the value for money."

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