Wallin’s former employee denies she was spying
OTTAWA — A former employee of Sen. Pamela Wallin denies accusations she acted as a “plant” in Wallin’s office gathering information for foes of the now-suspended senator.
Alison Stodin on Thursday rejected the allegation contained in a new book, telling Postmedia News she would never have done anything that could hurt the Conservative government. “That is just nonsense,” Stodin said of the claim. “I wasn’t planted by anyone. Planted to do what? Hurt (Pr ime Minister Stephen) Harper’s govern - ment? Unlike Wallin, I worked in the Tory party my entire life and I would never do anything to publicly damage the party.”
The book by former Progressive Conservative MP Patrick Boyer, Our Scandalous Senate, cites Wallin as saying that “hard-core rightwing elements in the Conservative caucus had it out for her” and that “revealing her expense claim materials” was “their plot to get her.”
Boyer writes that Wallin “saw Stodin as a plant, sent into her office to nail down incriminating evidence.”
Through her lawyer, Wallin said Wednesday she had never used the word “plant” in any conversations about Stodin.
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On Thursday, she also said she never believed Stodin was planted in her office. She said she never used the terms “plant” or “spy” in any of the conversations she had with Boyer, despite his claim in the book.
Boyer has said that that portion of his book — which is a longer opus about the reasons the Senate should be abolished — is based on a 45-minute conversation he had with Wallin in October 2013. He also spoke with Stodin for his book.
Stodin had worked on Parliament Hill for MPs and cabinet ministers since 1985 before she went to work for Wallin. Senate leadership asked Stodin if she could help out Wallin, who needed to quickly replace an outgoing executive assistant in her office.
Stodin agreed and joined Wallin’s office in July 2012.
On Aug. 22, 2012, Wallin fired Stodin for what she said were performance issues. But Stodin said Wallin threatened to sully the good reputation that Stodin had earned.
“I DID NOT COLLECT AND PASS ON ANY EVIDENCE.”
ALISON STODIN
Stodin told Postmedia News in an email this week that she turned to past and present ministers and MPs for guidance, and one suggested she contact Sen. Carolyn Stewart Olsen, then on the executive of the internal economy committee that oversaw Senate spending.
Stodin and Stewart Olsen had known one another since their days in the Reform party. They were “friendly colleagues,” Stodin said.
Her email to Postmedia News outlines her version of trying to reconcile some of Wallin’s expenses.
“I never heard back from anyone ... but months later, I noticed in the media that (the Senate) had hired a thirdparty auditor. That was the extent of my involvement,” Stodin said.
“I did not collect and pass on any evidence” (to any of Wallin’s perceived foes, or to the Senate internal economy committee.)
Wallin was eventually ordered by the Senate to repay about $139,000 in questionable expenses. In fact, she repaid about $150,000, including interest, saying she believed it was the right thing to do. In November, the Senate voted to suspend Wallin without pay over allegations of “gross negligence” with her expenses.
Stodin no longer works on Parliament Hill.