BC Liberals and the BC Rail Scandal

From 24 Hours is a new daily paper available only in greater Vancouver. The story is vital in this election as British Columbians will be voting before possibly more damaging information will be released on the BC Legislative raid concerning BC Rail. At no time before has a raid ever been exercised on a Legislature in Canada. The people involved were highly placed BC Liberal government political operatives and were also an integral part of the the Federal Liberal Party's operations in BC.


Bearing witness

By Bill TIELEMAN

Make crime pay. Become a lawyer. - Will Rogers


Erik Bornman, a controversial central figure in the biggest scandal to rock the B.C. Liberal government - the police raid on the provincial Legislature - has become a key Crown witness against accused former ministerial aides David Basi and Bob Virk in their fraud, bribery and
influence-peddling case.

And 24 hours has learned that the reason why Bornman, has become a Crown witness may be simple - he is studying law at the University of B.C.

Bornman was a target of the police investigation because of his alleged role with Basi and Virk. But Bornman's legal career could have quickly ended if he had been convicted of any crime.

Bornman had strong ties to both the Prime Minister Paul Martin federal and Premier Gordon Campbell B.C. Liberal parties.

When Martin was Finance Minister he employed Bornman as a political assistant. Bornman has also been a Martin leadership campaign organizer and a federal Liberal Party in B.C executive member.

Bornman earned the nickname Spider-Man after he entered a locked federal Liberal Party office - which contained the B.C. membership list - through the ceiling.

Bornman also worked on B.C. Liberal election campaigns and was a provincial lobbyist for corporate clients until the December 2003 Legislature raid. A search warrant was executed by police on Bornman's Vancouver home, as well as the home of Bruce Clark, brother of former B.C. Liberal Deputy Premier Christy Clark.

Basi and Virk were allegedly offered a benefit by Bornman -help in getting $100,000-plus jobs with the federal Liberal government - in exchange for providing confidential information about the B.C. Rail privatization, according to search-warrant "information to obtain" documents released by police last year.

Read the rest of the story at 24 Hours