CSIS Director Called Back for Further Inquiry Amid Disagreement from Trudeau Advisers on Evidence

The director of Canada’s spy agency will have to testify anew at the foreign interference inquiry after advisers to the prime minister challenged the agency’s briefings and intelligence.

The Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference received late documents from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) on April 8, which led some parties to request postponing the hearings or recalling witnesses.

Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue initially rejected the request, but she decided on April 9 that CSIS Director David Vigneault would be recalled on April 12. The decision came directly after advisers from the Prime Minister’s Office concluded their testimonies.

CSIS written briefings on foreign interference destined for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were presented to the advisers, but they claimed that this information was never relayed to Mr. Trudeau.

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“We know that the PRC [People’s Republic of China] clandestinely and deceptively interfered in both the 2019 and 2021 general elections,” the briefing states. It also implies that the federal government lacks sufficient motivation to address foreign interference.

During testimony on April 9, Mr. Trudeau’s Deputy Chief of Staff Brian Clow indicated that most of the information from the CSIS briefing document was not shared with him and his team.

Colleagues of Mr. Clow, including senior adviser Jeremy Broadhurst, supported this claim. Following their testimony, counsel for parties involved in the inquiry advocated for recalling witnesses to clarify the nature of the CSIS documents challenged by PMO advisers.

Tom German, counsel for former Tory leader Erin O’Toole, emphasized that the CSIS documents were briefed to the prime minister and were not just talking points.

He also highlighted discrepancies between Mr. Clow’s personal notes and the CSIS written documents, raising questions about why the information was not relayed and the director’s role in this decision.

The inquiry is concluding its second hearings phase on April 10 with testimony from ministers, including Mr. Trudeau. Commissioner Hogue is required to file an interim report by May 3.