SUITCASES, CUFFLINKS AND THE CORRUPTION WATCH: RESPONSE PROVIDES SOME EXPLANATIONS
On Nov. 20, the clerk of the legislature, Craig James, and the sergeant-at-arms, Gary Lenz, were suspended with pay. Two months later, Speaker Darryl Plecas released a damning report alleging misuse of taxpayer money by the two men. Late Thursday, James and Lenz provided responses to those allegations. Here are some of their explanations: $1,100 suitcase: Plecas wrote that James bought this pricey piece of luggage in Hong Kong and then expensed it. James replied that he bought it in response to requests by MLAs that a pool of luggage be available at the legislature for official travel.
Corruption watch: James took particular aim at a House of Commons gift shop watch, which Plecas alleged in his report that James purchased for him without his permission. Plecas’s chief of staff, Alan Mullen, has since publicly described it as “the corruption watch” in media interviews. “Three watches were purchased,” James wrote in his report. “Two were protocol gifts, to be presented to people who provide exemplary service to the legislative assembly . ... The third watch was purchased at the specific
direction of the Speaker.”
Mother-of-pearl cufflinks: Plecas noted multiple examples of clothing and accessories purchased on trips and then expensed, including many examples of cufflinks. In response, James said, “the speaker asked me to purchase House of Commons cufflinks for him, which I did,” and said other cufflinks purchased were for the deputy speaker and other table officers “for official use,” not for him. Headphones: The response of James and Lenz attempt to provide rationale for purchases that have caught the public ire. James expensed $504.44 for Bose noise-cancelling headphones, a purchase James argued in his response was because “I suffer from a condition which causes ear problems when flying, arising from a combination of sound and cabin pressure. The noise-cancelling headphones were purchased to alleviate that condition.” First-class flights: Plecas has said he reluctantly participated on international trips to destinations like the United Kingdom in order to conduct his undercover investigation into alleged misspending by James and Lenz. But both men pushed back, claiming on one 2018 trip to Richmond,
Va., the speaker and his aide abandoned their scheduled meetings on security issues and went sightseeing on the public dime. “While the Speaker and Mr. Mullen travelled to the conference, I was surprised to see that they missed significant portions of it,” wrote Lenz.
In another example, Lenz wrote that Plecas told him “he was looking forward to travelling business class in the Air Canada ‘Dreamliner’ ” plane to the U.K. “I advised the Speaker of my practice to travel economy on my business trips to save the taxpayers funds whenever possible ... he replied that I was making him look bad,” Lenz wrote.
Life insurance: Plecas accused James of asking him to approve a $1-million life insurance policy. In response, James says that Plecas encouraged him to pursue this policy, and that he drove to Penticton to get former speaker Bill Barisoff to sign off on the idea because Barisoff had previously said James was entitled to it.
Recall motivations: James’ reply indicated Plecas was preoccupied with the possibility of a recall campaign in his Abbotsford riding, stemming from his contentious departure from the B.C. Liberal party in 2017 to take the Speaker’s job. “Beginning shortly after his election as Speaker, Mr. Plecas repeatedly expressed concern regarding the potential that he would be recalled by the voters in his riding,” James wrote. “The Speaker told me that he ‘needed to find something that will help me avoid being recalled.’ ”
When reached by phone Friday, Plecas declined to comment in any detail on the responses. Postmedia was unable to reach Barisoff.