After a report surfaced Thursday about allegations that a staffer for Premier Danielle Smith emailed the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service to question their judgment on some cases, the premier’s office has issued a statement saying “this is a serious allegation” and “appropriate action will be taken” if the allegations are true.
The CBC reported Thursday that it was told by sources that the relevant emails were sent last fall and mentioned “cases stemming from the Coutts border blockades and protests.”
The CBC has agreed to keep its sources anonymous, saying they fear they could lose their jobs for speaking out. Global News has not seen the emails in question.
Last week, Smith announced she was no longer looking into giving pardons to people found guilty of breaking public health rules related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
READ MORE: Alberta premier says she won’t pursue COVID pardon legislation on advice from justice officials
She said she had been speaking with provincial justice officials about the cases, prompting some to raise concerns she was inappropriately interfering with the justice system.
Smith later offered different accounts of who she talked to and when about the matter.
Last week, she said, “I ask (Crown attorneys) on a regular basis, as new cases come out: ‘Is it in the public interest to pursue and is there a reasonable likelihood of conviction?’”
At the same time, Smith said at the time she would allow the court process to play out. Later, Smith said she only had discussions with Justice Minister Tyler Shandro and his deputy attorney general about the matter.
“At no time have I communicated with Crown prosecutors,” said Smith in a statement last Friday. “My language may have been imprecise in these instances.”
READ MORE: Alberta NDP: ‘A lot of lying going on’ about premier’s role in COVID-19 prosecutions
In a statement earlier this week, Justice Department spokesperson Jason Maloney said, “the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service has confirmed that the premier has never spoken with any Crown…
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