Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Tory aide resigns after probe into meddling

OTTAWA -- An aide to Conservative cabinet minister Christian Paradis has resigned over his meddling in at least four different access to information requests.

Sebastien Togneri offered Paradis his resignation Thursday evening following a report by The Canadian Press outlining a series of incidents while the minister headed the Public Works portfolio.

Togneri has been the subject of an investigation by the Information commissioner since the spring, in connection with his blocking of an access to information request submitted by The Canadian Press.

Togneri remained in Paradis' employ, moving over with him to Natural Resources early in 2010.

But documents recently released to a Commons committee showed that Togneri had directed bureaucrats in at least three other cases to alter the release of other information.

Some of those access to information requests dealt with touchy subjects such as U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Canada in early 2009, and asbestos.

A spokeswoman for Paradis said that he had asked current Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose to refer the other cases revealed in the documents to the Information commissioner.

-- The Canadian Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 1, 2010 A18

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