The RCMP is alleging that Sen. Pamela Wallin defrauded the Senate and committed breach of trust by filing inappropriate expense claims, and that perceived irregularities over her expenses were flagged several times since 2009.
The allegations are outlined in court documents seeking to obtain evidence as part of the Mounties鈥� ongoing investigation into Wallin鈥檚 expenses.
Among other materials, RCMP investigators are asking for various versions of Wallin鈥檚 electronic calendar from 2009 to 2013, her travel expense forms and receipts, her credit card billing statements and Senate attendance records.
None of the allegations in the documents have been tested or proven in court. Wallin has not been criminally charged.
In a request to obtain a production order, RCMP Const. Michael Johnson writes that the Senate鈥檚 director of finance, Nicole Proulx, told investigators that there have been issues with Wallin鈥檚 expenses since 2009.
Proulx said she and the Senate clerk spoke with Wallin about her expense claims on several occasions. She said the 鈥渨hole issue鈥� centred on claims related to Wallin鈥檚 travel to Toronto, where the senator owned a condo and frequently stopped en route to Saskatchewan or Ottawa.
On June 4, 2009, for example, Wallin flew from Ottawa to Toronto and claimed the expense as 鈥淪enate business.鈥� According to the court filings, Wallin later said that she was attending an awards gala.
The gala started at 5:30 p.m. that day, but Wallin鈥檚 flight did not land in Toronto until after 9:05 p.m., according to the document.
A Deloitte audit had flagged $121,348 in inappropriate travel expenses claimed by Wallin, and the Senate committee later determined she owed another $17,621, bringing her total tab to $138,969. Wallin has since repaid those expenses.
Wallin has claimed that her primary residence is in Wadena, Sask., but the Deloitte review found that her income tax return and health card 鈥渄id not match the primary residence,鈥� according to Johnson鈥檚 court filing.
According to the filing, Deloitte auditors also noted that entries in three versions of Wallin鈥檚 Microsoft Outlook calendar had been changed more than 391 times.
In 2010, some of Wallin鈥檚 expense claims were rejected, but she 鈥渢ook issue鈥� with that and complained to the Senate鈥檚 internal economy steering committee. The committee ultimately sided with Wallin and her claims were paid.
Proulx told investigators that she spoke 鈥渕ore seriously鈥� with Wallin in January 2012 about her 鈥渢ravel irregularities,鈥� including the high cost of her car services and frequent stopovers in Toronto.
Both a Senate finance clerk and a former Wallin staffer raised issues about the Senator鈥檚 spending in 2011 and 2012.
A letter from the former staffer prompted a second, more comprehensive internal review of Wallin鈥檚 expenses, according to the court documents. The staffer had made 鈥渟erious allegations鈥� about Wallin鈥檚 claims and bookkeeping, it鈥檚 alleged.
Investigators also interviewed Sen. Marjory LeBreton, then the government leader in the Senate, who said she does not believe that Wallin has committed any criminal offence or tried to scam the system.
However, 鈥淪enator LeBreton feels that Senator Wallin has a sense of entitlement,鈥� the court filing states.
The Senate is currently debating whether to suspend Wallin, along with Senators Mike Duffy and Patrick Brazeau, whose expenses are also being investigated by the RCMP.
The Mounties are also investigating former Liberal Sen. Mac Harb鈥檚 living and housing expenses. Harb resigned from the Senate in August.
Wallin has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. She has accused the Senate internal committee of forming a 鈥渓ynch mob鈥� and said that LeBreton and Sen. Carolyn Stewart Olsen have 鈥減ersonal vendettas鈥� against her.
She has also said that the Senate audit process was 鈥渇undamentally flawed鈥� and unfair.
Court Documents - Information to Obtain a Production Orders:
