What the Jury Didn’t Hear in the Ortis Case: Batman Folder and Chinese Diplomats

Cameron Jay Ortis, a former intelligence official with the RCMP, has been found guilty of revealing secrets to targets of police interest and violating the Security of Information Act, as per a jury’s ruling. Evidence from bail proceedings, a statement filed in court, and a preliminary ruling from the presiding judge have been disclosed, revealing authorities’ grave concerns about Ortis’s next steps.

Evidence uncovered covert searches conducted at Ortis’s apartment from August 26th to September 11th, 2019, discovered a laptop with a user folder titled “Batman” that contained 400 classified documents related to national security. Investigators also found a list of tasks that mentioned “The Project,” with notes to “Finish processing” and “Start to plan first contact.” Investigators inferred that Ortis intended to communicate this information to a foreign entity and found business cards of diplomats in the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa.

The Crown initially faced Ortis with four additional charges related to the case; however, Justice Maranger eventually dismissed them. These prep charges concerned Mr. Ortis’s access to and retention of information in preparation of an offence. The Crown fought against bail for Ortis, fearing that his efforts might escalate to an alarming level, and the prosecutor raised concerns about Ortis seeking asylum inside an embassy in Ottawa.

Federal prosecutors notified in June 2020 that sensitive or potentially injurious information might be disclosed during the Ortis case, prompting an application to the Federal Court in July 2020, seeking to shield materials that could harm Canada’s security, defense, or international relations if revealed. The Federal Court concluded that keeping certain materials under wraps was in the public’s interest, leading to the four preparatory charges being dismissed.

The evidence presented suggests that Ortis planned to defend against these charges by portraying his actions as part of preparing to make a pitch to senior RCMP executives on how to best respond to a certain growing problem or threat from a foreign entity. The judge noted the lack of clear-cut motivation for Ortis’s alleged actions and that those who knew him spoke highly of his professionalism and security consciousness. During his arrest, Ortis anticipated dire consequences and contemplated starting over while reflecting upon his prior career decisions that had led to misery, suggesting he would never engage in such actions again.



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