A veteran Ottawa journalist is firing again in opposition to what he says are “fully false” claims by a former Conservative cupboard minister that he acted as a Russian agent.
David Pugliese, a reporter with the Ottawa Citizen, stated in an announcement posted to X Friday that the claims Chris Alexander made at a Home of Commons committee are ridiculous and put his household in peril.
“His statements are fully false and merely spotlight one other tactic within the ongoing assaults on Canadian journalism,” Pugliese wrote.
At a public security and nationwide safety committee assembly Thursday, Alexander claimed Pugliese was recruited by Russia due to his function as a journalist. He offered paperwork to the committee concerning the claims.
Alexander was an immigration minister in Stephen Harper’s Conservative authorities and a former Canadian ambassador to Afghanistan.
He additionally talked about a number of topics Pugliese has not too long ago written about, together with alleged Nazi struggle criminals in Canada and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s grandfather’s Nazi ties.
“These are themes that Moscow can be delighted to advertise,” he instructed MPs.
Postmedia, which owns the Ottawa Citizen, rejected Alexander’s claims in an announcement Friday and stated it stands firmly behind Pugliese.
“Yesterday, a witness earlier than Parliamentary committee made ridiculous and baseless accusations in opposition to David, and instructed his work was compromised by a international entity,” the corporate stated.
“At no level have we ever doubted David’s work or integrity, nor have we ever been approached by any intelligence entity regarding David or his work.”
Reached by telephone on Friday, Alexander stated he stands by the feedback he made on the committee and the paperwork introduced to them.
The paperwork, obtained by The Canadian Press, are described on the quilt web page as being from the Archives of the State Safety Committee in Kyiv, Ukraine, and are dated 1984 by means of 1990. The translated variations of the paperwork title Pugliese however largely check with him as “Stuart,” saying the KGB noticed him as a possible asset and looked for one among their brokers, “Ivan,” to construct a relationship with him.
Alexander instructed the committee the paperwork are “proof of a severe effort to undermine Canada’s nationwide safety and collective self-defence,” including they have been authenticated by a number of specialists, and he believes they have been shared with the Division of Nationwide Defence and Canadian Safety Intelligence Service. He stated he has been conscious of the paperwork “for a lot of months.”
In an interview, Pugliese stated the paperwork given to the committee are the identical ones concerned in an ongoing civil lawsuit over reporting he did about allegedly defective tools despatched to Ukraine.
He stated he has no approach of realizing whether or not the paperwork are actual, however that “the claims that I’m some form of Russian agent … that is fabricated, that is false.”
He stated some particular particulars within the paperwork are incorrect. For instance, one doc dated 1984 describes Pugliese as a journalist in Ottawa, however Pugliese stated he didn’t reside in Ottawa that 12 months.
Pugliese stated he obtained no discover from committee that these paperwork have been going to be introduced up at Thursday’s assembly nor that Alexander can be talking about them. He stated he has requested the committee to permit him to look to defend himself however had not obtained a response as of late Friday afternoon.
The Canadian Affiliation of Journalists denounced the accusations in an announcement, saying the claims are harmful and designed to undermine journalists’ credibility.
“It is a unhappy irony these feedback have been made in a gathering inspecting disinformation campaigns,” the group stated.
Pugliese stated in his assertion that Alexander’s claims can be thought-about libel in the event that they hadn’t been stated at a parliamentary committee. Testimony at committees is protected by parliamentary privilege.
“I perceive the articles I’ve written ΓǪ are upsetting to these in and out of doors authorities,” he stated.
“Nonetheless, these articles are correct. I’m happy with my 40 years of journalism. That is what journalism is meant to be about; publishing issues the highly effective don’t wish to see in public.”
Pugliese additionally stated he was disillusioned that NDP MP Peter Julian and Conservative MP James Bezan didn’t push again at Alexander’s claims.
Within the assembly, Bezan questioned Alexander on his allegations about Pugliese, calling the paperwork “disturbing.”
Julian referred to as Alexander’s testimony “gorgeous” and “explosive.” He requested whether or not different journalists in Canada may very well be equally compromised, and Alexander stated sure.
Julian didn’t reply to a request for remark.
Bezan stated in an emailed assertion that his information of the allegations is restricted to Alexander’s testimony and the paperwork he offered. He stated he questioned the witness however didn’t make any allegations himself.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Oct. 25, 2024.
