Grits retain lawyer to help track anonymous emailer
Posted May 6, 2010 06:22:32 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Liberals have hired a lawyer to help find out who sent an anonymous email to party members urging them to vote against Stephen McNeil in the ongoing leadership review.
Michelle Awad recently represented two Halifax firefighters in a court request ordering the Coast newspaper to reveal the identities of anonymous online posters who made possibly defamatory comments about the Halifax fire service.
McNeil says party officials are very concerned about the misuse of the party’s membership list.
“It’s a breach of information that was given to us as a party,” he said. “When people provide you with their private information they expect you to protect it.
Which we were doing, but someone has breached that and the party is taking every step necessary to find out who that was.”
Reports suggest the email has been traced to a staffer working for Liberal MLA and deputy party leader Diana Whalen.
Whalen says she doesn’t know who sent it, and she’s not about to start an inquisition in her office.
“I don’t want to be caught up in the web of this,” she said. “I just feel that this is a matter between the party and party members and it’s not my issue at this point in time.”
Stepehen McNeil says if a party member is behind the email he wants them kicked out.
