BP warned ethics watchdog on Carson

Former Chief of Cabinet of Stephen Harper wrote the Commissioner ethics in 2009 to warn of a potential conflict of interest involving Bruce Carson, then Adviser of Harper and under investigation for alleged influence peddling lobbying now and illegal.

The conservative campaign officials have published two letters late Wednesday after the CBC News reported earlier in the day top aid while Harper, Guy Giorno, contacted the Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson on Carson.

The first letter in January 2009 alerted the Commissioner possible COI and the actions of Cabinet of the Prime Minister had to answer. A second letter describes additional measures taken to remove Carson of potential conflict in the pre-budget process.

Giorno is currently the Director of national election campaign of the conservatives.

Shortly after Il Giorno contacted the Commissioner ethics, sources said, a third letter on Carson was sent to Dawson, one of a Senior Deputy Minister in the Harper Government.

All three letters preceded the current problems of Carson by two years.

Last month, the Office of the Prime Minister called in the police to investigate the allegations of pressure Carson may have illegally on Government in 2010 a company of filter water using his girlfriend, a former prostitute for 22 years.

In this story, Harper and his executives all said that they had no prior idea there was nothing amiss on Carson.

Relative hail of mail to the Commissioner the ethics on Carson adds another bizarre twist to the saga of the conduct of the convicted fraudster who became one of the advisors of confidence of Harper.

The fact of two of these letters came from Harper and then Chief of staff is also bound to raise new questions about how the Prime Minister was aware of his former assistant.

Harper said that he is only aware that Carson had been sent to prison and removed from the bar as a lawyer for fraud more than 30 years.

The Prime Minister said he was under the impression Carson had become since a honest citizen with an exemplary career in politics and Government.

In fact, at the time that Carson became a Senior Advisor for Harper in 2006, he had been convicted on an another three counts of fraud, had been bankrupt twice and was several times behind his taxes up to and including the time that he worked in the Office of the Prime Minister.

Giorno has not responded to requests for an interview, and the Ethics Commissioner is prohibited by law to discuss the details of this correspondence.

However, in a written response to the CBC, Dawson Jocelyne Brisbois spokesman said that in cases like this, the Commissioner would have responded directly to the author, namely Giorno.

The subject of a letter, Carson in this case, may also be copied on the correspondence "is it y utility by.".

Brisbois said: "there is no obligation for the Commissioner copy the Prime Minister."

One thing that is a secret in official circles in Ottawa in 2008 has been intense dislike of Giorno Carson.

The feeling was obviously mutual, with a long history of animosity between the two dating to their days at Queens Park.

At the time wherever giorno took over as Chief of staff in early summer 2008, Carson had been a senior advisor of Harper policy during almost four years, first in opposition, and then in the Government.

Almost immediately after the arrival of Giorno to CMP, it converts Office of Carson in a common room for junior staff members.

Carson soon left to become head of a newly created in Calgary reflection group called the Canada School of energy and the environment.

The Agency was set up as a corporation, private and fully funded by a grant from the Federal Government $ 15 million.

Carson had barely unpacked his bags in Calgary when Harper called the 2008 election and insisted his return of confidence to travel on the plan of campaign Adviser.

First letter of giorno was sent to the Commissioner after the return of the Carson BP during the campaign.

As soon as the campaign was over, Carson returned to Calgary to resume his position at the Institute.

But six weeks later, he was back in the PMO Advisor Harper during the crisis of the coalition who threatened to overthrow the newly elected Conservative Government.

Documents show Carson officially left the PMO to well about two months later, on February 4, 2009.

Carson returned to the Institute of Calgary who was supposed to be a coordinating body for clean energy research.

Almost immediately, Carson rewritten the mandate of the Agency of an Institute of research for a centre dedicated to promoting the oil sands of Alberta, and help the Harper Government to navigate on the issue of climate change politically treacherous.

Sources say that Carson was also officially hired as Advisor unpaid for the Federal Ministry of the environment.

This is the third letter on Carson landed on the Office of ethics and federal conflict of interest Commissioner.

This missive was the Deputy Minister of the environment, Ian Shugart.

He refused to comment on.

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Boss RCMP OK'd ex-PM safety of Carson customs clearance assistance

The current leader of the RCMP was responsible for giving security clearances to one of the Councillors Stephen Harper high alumni with numerous criminal convictions.

CBC News has learned William Elliott, who served as national security adviser, the Office of the Privy Council in January 2006 was the official in charge of giving the green light to Bruce Carson working in the Office of the Prime Minister. The RCMP is currently probing allegations that Carson had participated in illegal lobbying.

Elliott, who was chosen by Harper to become the first civilian Commissioner of the Mounties in 2007, is resigning in the summer after a public and controversial reign battles with senior brass RCMP on his management style.

The Canadian Press reported earlier this week that Carson was sentenced to five counts of fraud - three more than ever before - and received the Court ordered psychiatric treatment prior to his hiring as Advisor to Harper.

Carson has worked in the Office of the Prime Minister until 2008. An investigation into the dealings of Carson by Aboriginal peoples television network led the PMO to call to the RCMP in March.

Several of the previous convictions of fraud and bankruptcy of Carson have surfaced in the press these days.

Office of the Prime Minister asked the RCMP to investigate Bruce Carson, seen here in an interview with CBC News last November. Carson is a former advisor to the Prime Minister. CBC

Harper said that he knew that Carson had "difficulties with the law", there are many years, but he knew not on all of his beliefs and that he would not have hired him if he had known the full extent of his past legal troubles.

Opposition leaders were violently Harper on the hiring of Carson, examine how Carson, with its convictions, could enter the inner circle of the Prime Minister.

Carson lawyer told CBC News Monday that Carson was upfront about his convictions for fraud in a security control required.

Patrick McCann, who represented Carson during his legal troubles past and spoke to him Monday, said Carson did not demand of security clearance, but he remembers telling them everything.

Carson told the Canadian Press said that mentioning his criminal past in early 2006, to Ian Brodie Chief of staff of then Harper, when the application for customs clearance at the level Secret.

"" I remember going to him and say: for him, 'I' ve got complete these forms, "said Carson." "" You know that I have a past criminal. Should I go ahead and fill them out, or is this kind of the end? "He said:" no, go and fill them out ", and so I did. ?

Brodie told CBC News Tuesday night he had no involvement in the granting of security clearance of Carson and said only if the prospective employees "" received a rating or not because they may not be engaged until they are cleared. ""

Brodie said that he was never really a prospective employee security files.

"All I got was the Yes or nay", he said.

Brodie would say not if Elliott personally informed on security of Carson.

The PMO wrote to the Commissioner of the RCMP last month calling for the force to investigate Carson after a probe by the Aboriginal peoples television network alleged pressures 65 years of age may have illegally on the Federal Government on behalf of a corporation that his girlfrienda one-time escorts for 22 years.

Records of the Canadian Press return to the accessibility links

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