SENATORS AND SENATE STAFF
SEN. CLAUDE CARIGNAN
Position: Current leader of the Conservative Party in the Senate.
Reports to: Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Role: Took over as top Tory in the Senate after Marjory LeBreton stepped down. Introduced the successful government motions to suspend Mike Duffy, and senators Patrick Brazeau and Pamela Wallin over their expense claims.
SEN. MARJORY LEBRETON
Position: Was government leader in the Senate until July, 2013.
Reports to: Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Role: Warned senators all inappropriate expenses must be repaid. RCMP court documents suggest she was aware of proposal to end the Deloitte audit of Duffy if he repaid expenses. Was given regular media lines by the PMO.
CHRISTOPHER MONTGOMERY
Position: Was director of parliamentary affairs in the office of Sen. Marjory LeBreton.
Reported to: LeBreton. Was employed by the Privy Council Office but worked in Senate leader’s office.
Role: Was concerned about plan to soften the Deloitte audit on Mike Duffy under direction from the PMO. Court filings by RCMP suggest Montgomery argued Senate independence was undermined.
GARY O’BRIEN
Position: Clerk of the Senate and clerk of the internal economy committee.
Reports to: The Senate. Role: Reviewed drafts of reports on senators’ spending prepared by Jill Anne Joseph. Participated in meeting of the internal economy committee, Mike Duffy and lawyer Janice Payne in May when parts of the draft report critical of Duffy were deleted, according to RCMP court filings. JILL ANNE JOSEPH Position: Senate Administration.
Reports to: Clerk of the Senate. Role: Court filings say she prepared audits of all senators based on residency documents they supplied. She prepared draft reports on Patrick Brazeau, Mac Harb and Mike Duffy. Court filings indicate she opposed changes to soften the Duffy report that were suggested by David Tkachuk and Carolyn Stewart Olsen. She felt they made the report “scant,” according to RCMP.
SEN. PAMELA WALLIN
Position: Onetime Conservative, now independent senator. Currently suspended.
Reported to: As Conservative, reported to Marjory LeBreton as government leader in the Senate, then to her successor as government leader, Sen. Claude Carignan.
Role: After questions were raised about her travel expenses and residency, her file was referred to Deloitte for an audit. Repaid from her own funds about $150,000 in inappropriate expenses plus interest. Told Senate she was victim of a vendetta. SEN. PATRICK BRAZEAU
Position: Onetime Conservative, now independent senator. Currently suspended.
Reported to: LeBreton, then to Carignan.
Role: Suspended following an investigation into residency and living expenses. Was told to repay $49,000. Also faces criminal charges in an unrelated domestic matter.
SEN. CAROLYN STEWART OLSEN
Position: Conservative senator, was on steering committee of Senate committee on internal economy.
Reports to: Sen. Claude Carignan; Before to LeBreton.
Role: Told Nigel Wright that other senators did not want to stop the Deloitte audit of Duffy. Tried to quash the audit of Duffy and have critical sections removed with the knowledge of PMO, according to RCMP court filings.
SEN. DAVID TKACHUK
Position: Conservative; chair of Senate’s internal economy committee until early June, 2013; chaired the subcommittee that drafted a Senate report on Mike Duffy’s living allowance.
Reports to: Sen. Claude Carignan; Before to LeBreton.
Role: Told Mike Duffy he owed the Senate $90,172.24. Was reportedly one of those who suggested to Duffy that he repay and apologize, and that the Senate audit might stop, according to RCMP documents. Was in contact with Nigel Wright and PMO staff, and with Duffy’s lawyer, Janice Payne.
SEN. IRVING GERSTEIN
Position: Conservative senator and chair of the Conservative Party Fund.
Reports to: Sen. Claude Carignan; Before to LeBreton.
Role: Considered Nigel Wright’s request for the party to pay Mike Duffy’s expenses when it was thought Duffy owed around $30,000. Was willing to cover Duffy’s legal fees but not the full $90,000 Duffy was found to owe. Approached a contact with Deloitte to see if they planned to alter the audit of Duffy.
SEN. MAC HARB
Position: Retired. Resigned from caucus because of expenses scandal.
Role: Harb’s living expenses were referred to Deloitte for an audit. Was found to owe $231,000 in living expenses and housing allowance. Under RCMP investigation, but took retirement and pension from the Senate in August, 2013. SEN. MIKE DUFFY
Position: Onetime Conservative, now independent senator. Currently suspended.
Reported to: LeBreton, then to Carignan.
Role: Claimed Ottawa home as a secondary residence and Prince Edward Island as his main residence though he spent more time in the capital; other irregular expenses. Became focus of Deloitte audit. Senate committee told him to repay about $90,000 in wrongfully claimed expenses. Money ultimately paid by Nigel Wright, then-chief-of staff to Stephen Harper.
JANICE PAYNE
Position: Duffy’s lawyer. Role: Involved in the negotiations for Duffy repayment in exchange for end of Deloitte audit, and support of his PEI residency status. Received bank draft from Nigel Wright for Duffy, according to RCMP documents.
SEN. JAMES COWAN
Position: Liberal leader in the
Senate.
Reports to: Liberal leader Justin Trudeau.
Role: He and Sen. Marjory LeBreton co-signed a letter telling senators they were all expected to reimburse any inappropriate expenses.
SEN. GEORGE FUREY
Position: Liberal. Past chair of the internal economy committee, member of the steering committee.
Reports to: Sen. James Cowan.
Role: Objected to changes in Duffy’s audit report that softened language about Duffy.