http://www.scandalpedia.ca/Scandals/NAFTAgate_en.html
NAFTAgate
In March 2008, the senior officials within the Stephen Harper government were accused of interfering in the U.S. Presidential race by leaking to media information damaging to the campaign of Democrat presidential candidate Barack Obama. Media were told of a private meeting between an Obama adviser and a Canadian diplomat to discuss Mr. Obama’s position on NAFTA.
 Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada |
The sources of the leaks were alleged to include Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Chief of Staff Ian Brodie and Canada’s Ambassador to the U.S. and Harper appointee Michael Wilson.
According to a leaked internal memo obtained by Associated Press, Obama advisor Austan Goolsbee told Canadian Consul General Georges Rioux that Obama’s attack on free trade is “more reflective of political manoeuvring than policy.”[1] Goolsbee, however, later insisted those weren’t his words, but rather a mischaracterization by a consulate employee.
At first the Conservatives denied involvement in the leak. “Ian Brodie does not recall discussing this matter,” claimed Harper spokeswoman Sandra Buckler. “We stand by that statement.” [2]
Later, however, it emerged that Brodie had in fact made similar comments to reporters during the February 26, 2008 Budget lockup, and the U.S. network ABC cited Brodie as the source.
 Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety (Source: pm.gc.ca) |
The affair, dubbed NAFTA-gate, was played up in the U.S. with Hillary Clinton’s campaign using it to suggest Obama was being duplicitous in his stated opposition to NAFTA. Some believe it affected the outcome in the Ohio Democratic primary, a state with many blue-collar workers, which was won by Clinton. It also may have had an impact on the primary races in states with similar demographics, like Pennsylvania.
Democrat consultant Bob Shrum told U.S. television: “You’ve got a right-wing government in Canada that is trying to help the Republicans and is out there actively interfering in the campaign.” [3]
The Harper government announced it would investigate the leak internally, but said the investigation would focus only on the leak of the memo. This suggested they wouldn’t look at the verbal leak by Brodie. The government also avoided answering questions about whether Ambassador Wilson would be investigated over a conversation with CTV Washington Bureau Chief Tom Clark shortly before CTV broke the story.
 Jason Kenney, Secretary of State Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity (Source: pm.gc.ca) |
On May 23, 2008, Kevin Lynch, Canada's top civil servant, tabled his investigation report. His report exonerated Brodie specifically when it came to the leak of the memo and laid blame on Department of Foreign Affairs officials for misclassifying the memo that led to the leak [4]. Opposition members united in calling the report a "whitewash" and a half-hearted effort of government investigating itself [5].
Only one week later, media reports found more evidence that the Prime Minister's office was directly linked to the leak. Multiple sources linked the controversial memo to Frank Sensenbrenner, son of Wisconsin Republican Congressman James Sensenbrenner. Frank Sensenbrenner was hired on a short term contract in the Canadian Embassy in 2006 and was sponsored by Public Security Minister Stockwell Day. Sensenbrenner has long been linked to Reform Party leaders such as Gerry Chipeur, a former legal counsel to the Reform and Canadian Alliance parties, Alberta MP Jason Kenney, John Reynolds, co-chair of the Conservative 2006 election campaign, and Preston Manning, former leader of the Reform Party of Canada [6].
References
[1] Kitchener-Waterloo Record, March 4, 2008
[2] Canadian Press News Wire, 29 February, 2008
[3] Canadian Press News Wire, March 2, 2008
[4] PM's aide fuelled uproar; Report exonerates Brodie over memo leak but confirms chat likely led to NAFTA furor, The Toronto Star, May 24, 2008
[5] Harper aide cleared in Obama leak; Opposition calls government investigation into PM's chief of staff 'a complete whitewash', Vancouver Sun, May 24, 2008
[6] Signs point to PMO memo to Republican, The Daily Courier (Kelowna), May 28, 2008; NAFTA leaker worked under the radar; PM's office, Stockwell Day had close ties to congressman's son, The Hamilton Spectator, May 28, 2008; The scandal that could really damage Canada, Winnipeg Free Press, June 11, 2008
