May solicits donations to help pay for inquiry
Green leader asks members for money after being accused of bullying by former staffers
OTTAWA— Elizabeth May is asking Green party members to help cover the “new and unexpected” cost of a workplace bullying investigation into her own alleged behaviour — an investigation that she called for herself in the face of accusations from former staffers last week.
In an email to party members Monday, the longtime Green leader said the accusations have cast “a shadow on our work,” and that she believed the party wouldn’t be credible again without an independent probe.
“That means new and unexpected costs for the party,” May wrote, noting she has asked the party to set aside “tens of thousands of dollars” even as it prepares for the 2019 federal election.
“If you could manage a donation at this time, it would certainly be appreciated,” she wrote. “I truly regret this situation and its impact on the party.”
Alex Tyrrell, a May critic who is provincial leader of the Green Party of Quebec, received the fundraising email from the federal party Monday afternoon. He said he thinks it was “completely inappropriate” for May to send a fundraising request related to the allegations.
Green party officials did not respond to a request for comment Monday.
May also refused to answer questions about the investigation when speaking to reporters outside the House of Commons.
“I have tons of support and it’s been very heartening — very heartwarming for me — but I shouldn’t discuss any specifics or individuals while we’re having an independent investigation,” she said.
Three former Green party staffers told the Star that they had experienced or witnessed May shouting at employees and putting them down in front of others. May denied the allegations, while the party’s executive director, Emily McMillan, said she can’t recall ever seeing the leader yell in anger at a party staffer.
In response to the allegations, May said she insisted the party hold an independent investigation to “put the matter to bed.” The party hired Toronto lawyer Sheila Block to conduct the investigation, and May pledged to publicly release the results of the probe.
Diana Nunes, the Green party’s director of finance from 2004 to 2015, is one of the three former staffers accusing May of workplace bullying. She said Monday that she feels like the Green party is trying to use the situation to their advantage.
“How do they turn this around and use this as a fundraiser? It’s just a sham, this whole thing,” she said.