Photo Courtesy Flickr/Government of Alberta

By Dan Reynish

Alberta

Premier denies knowing about staff emails to Crown prosecution on Coutts cases

Jan 20, 2023 | 11:42 AM

Premier Danielle Smith says she has no knowledge of anyone on her staff sending emails to Crown prosecutors involved in cases around the Coutts border crossing blockade last year.

Her statement comes after allegations were made in a CBC report that said a series of emails were sent last fall from the premier’s office to the Alberta Crown prosecution service.

The report says shortly after Smith was sworn in as premier, emails were sent that “critiqued the prosecutors’ assessment of the charges and pushed back on the characterizations of the protest.”

In a statement Thursday night, the premier’s office says “Premier Smith has not been in contact with Crown prosecutors and has no knowledge of anyone on her staff having done so. This is a serious allegation. If a staff member has been in touch with a Crown prosecutor, appropriate action will be taken.”

The Crown’s office also says they have no recollection of receiving those emails from the premier’s office.

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A spokesperson said such communication would be exceptionally rare and as such, would stand out.

Last week the opposition NDP called for an investigation into claims from Smith that she was in regular contact with Crown prosecutors about COVID-19 court cases.

On Friday, it renewed calls for Smith and the Attorney General to act.. The NDP is calling on Smith to appear in public today (fri) and identify who in her office has sent these emails and confirm that person has been dismissed, and for the Attorney General to launch an independent investigation.

With respect to charges related to COVID restriction violations, on Dec. 23, Smith told a far-right website that she asked prosecutors to do a review of the cases and to keep in mind whether prosecution is in the public interest and has a reasonable likelihood of conviction. On Jan. 12, Smith told the media she asks prosecutors “on a regular basis, as new cases come out, if pursuing the case is in the best interest and is there a reasonable likelihood of conviction?”

Following widespread outrage Smith’s story changed and she stated in writing that she had.

She later clarified those comments to say she had only high-level discussions with Justice Minister Tyler Shandro and his deputy attorney general.