Ottawa continues to buzz with excitement as Nigel Wright, the prime minister’s former right-hand man, takes the stand for a second day of testimony against disgraced Senator Mike Duffy.
Media touted yesterday’s proceedings as having been “gentle” on Wright, the Crown’s star witness in a trial consisting of 31 charges against Duffy for bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
Today’s proceedings will take a different tone however as Duffy’s lawyer, Donald Bayne, begins his cross-examination of Wright. He would not answer questions from reporters this morning as he arrived at the Ottawa Courthouse around 9:20 a.m.
Yesterday, Wright testified in court that he did not make the prime minister privy to plans to front Duffy’s $90,000 debt personally, but a long list of newly tabled emails shed light on how implicit he, and other PMO staffers were in keeping the senator and his expense problems quiet.
Bayne is expected to question Wright vigorously, following up on opening statements during the trial in April that Duffy was pressured by a small group of political operatives led by Wright.
According to Bayne, the goal of their “conspirational strategy” was to have Duffy publicly admit to having made a mistake, in an attempt to reduce the political fallout when questions were raised about the senator’s expense claims.
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