Jody Wilson-Raybould says she was pressured, got veiled threats on SNC-Lavalin

OTTAWA (NEWS 1130) – Former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould gave an explosive testimony, confirming the allegations of inappropriate pressure from the Prime Minister’s Office on the SNC-Lavalin case.

Testifying to the House of Commons justice committee, the Vancouver-Granville MP says she was subjected to sustained efforts from 11 people in the Prime Minister’s Office, the Privy Council Office, and the Ministry of Finance to cut a deal for the Quebec engineering firm SNC-Lavalin.

RELATED: Trudeau disagrees with Wilson-Raybould’s recounting of SNC-Lavalin events

“For a period of approximately four months between September and December of 2018, I experienced a consistent and sustained effort by many people within the government to seek to politically interfere in the exercise of prosecutorial discretion in my role as the Attorney General of Canada in an inappropriate effort to secure a deferred prosecution agreement with SNC-Lavalin,” she said.

“These events involved 11 people — excluding myself and my political staff — from the Prime Minister’s Office, the Privy Council Office and the office of the Minister of Finance. This included in-person conversations, telephone calls, emails, and text messages. There were approximately 10 phone calls and 10 meeting specifically about SNC and I and/or my staff were a part of these meetings.

“Within these conversations, there were expressed statements regarding the necessity of interference in the SNC-Lavalin matter, the potential of consequences, and veiled threats if a DPA was not made available to SNC.”

According to Wilson-Raybould, the discussions she had go right to the prime minister himself.

She says Justin Trudeau and others repeatedly brought up the risks to the company if it were convicted of corruption and fraud in relation to work it sought in Libya.

Wilson-Raybould says there was even a meeting with the prime minister in which she feels he crossed the line by discussing the Quebec election and the fact he was a Quebec MP.

That’s when she says she looked him in the eye. “I asked ‘Are you politically interfering with my role, my decision as the attorney general? I would strongly advise against it.’ The prime minister said ‘No, no, no. We just need to find a solution.”

Wilson-Raybould says Trudeau told her jobs would be lost if she didn’t “find a solution” for SNC-Lavalin. She says that happened during a meeting in September which included the clerk of the Privy Council, but she refused to interfere.

“I further stated that I was very clear on my role as the attorney general and that I am not prepared to issue directive in this case — that it would not be appropriate,” she testified.

“The prime minister again cited the potential loss of jobs and SNC moving,” she added. “Then, to my surprise, the clerk stated — or started to make the case — for the need for a DPA. He said ‘There is a board meeting on Thursday, Sept. 20th with stockholders.”

WATCH: Trudeau denies Wilson-Raybould’s claim of interference in SNC-Lavalin case

Wilson-Raybould then quoted the clerk again. “‘They will likely be moving to London, if this happens, and there is an election in Quebec soon.’ At that point, the prime minister jumped in, stressing that there is an election in Quebec and that ‘I am an MP in Quebec — the member for Papineau.'”

She says the talks ended on Dec. 19, 2018.

“A few weeks later, on Jan. 7 2019, I was informed by the prime minister that I was being shuffled out of the role of minister of justice and attorney general of Canada.”

Wilson-Raybould believes she was shuffled out of the justice portfolio because she wouldn’t play ball.

She resigned from cabinet earlier this month.

Statement, speaking notes from Jody Wilson-Raybould’s testimony

The shuffle and resignation came after a story broke that she had been pressured inappropriately to arrange a “remediation agreement” that would have headed off prosecution.

In her testimony, Wilson-Raybould says the decision not to pursue such an agreement was made in September, but she and her staff heard repeatedly from Trudeau’s office and Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s office after that, trying to find ways to help SNC-Lavalin.

She says she was told repeatedly the decision was up to her, but attempts to talk her into a remediation agreement were relentless.

Earlier, Wilson-Raybould talked about another meeting with Ben Chin, who works with federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau. She said he suggested “we can’t have SNC leaving Quebec.”

Chin’s name may be familiar because he worked in former B.C. Premier Christy Clark’s office.

SNC-Lavalin has been shortlisted to build the new Pattullo Bridge and it’s won past bids to build major infrastructure projects in B.C.

RELATED: Wilson-Raybould warns she still can’t tell full SNC-Lavalin story

Wilson-Raybould is speaking freely to the justice committee, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidentiality to allow her to do so.

In a letter to the Justice Committee, the Vancouver-Granville MP had previously warned she doesn’t believe she can tell her full story, noting the waiving of privilege and confidentiality doesn’t go far enough.

It only applies to her time as attorney general but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that should give her the freedom to speak freely about this controversy.

Trudeau has denied the allegations.

“We know that people need to understand her perspective on this. We know the justice committee needs that to do their work,” he said earlier.

However, the opposition is not so sure saying this testimony could just be the start of a new chapter with accusations flying of potential criminality. Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer says he still feels Wilson-Raybould is restricted from telling her whole truth.

“Clearly there are some things Justin Trudeau doesn’t want her to say,” Scheer told reporters. “It’s very frustrating, we’re going to continue to put pressure on Justin Trudeau to do the right thing and let her give her version of all the events.”

But Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia disagrees, adding the historic waiving of privilege and confidentiality has to be related to the matter at hand, not the entire business of government.

Her former cabinet colleague Fisheries Minister John Wilkinson says he is feeling confident ahead of her testimony. “I think that what was done was entirely appropriate,” he adds.

This controversy has already cost the Liberals general support in the polls and today’s testimony can either inflict more pain or stop the bleeding with months to go before an election.