B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad accused three Independent MLAs of trying to blackmail colleagues and caucus staffers in an unsigned and undated internal party memo leaked on social media on Monday, June 16.
The brand-new One BC political party issued a after the letter was posted, calling the allegations "wild, false and defamatory."
The six-page letter warns members of the Conservative caucus about alleged blackmail attempts by three Independent MLAs 鈥� two of whom have now formed One BC 鈥� using secretly recorded conversations and copied text messages.
While the BC Conservative party would not officially comment on the letter, multiple party MLAs confirmed to Black Press Media they were aware of a letter of this nature, though none would speak about it publicly. The letter instructs them not to comment on the matter without permission due to the sensitive legal nature of the issue.
A B.C. Conservative spokesperson said that Rustad would not comment on an internal communication.
Dallas Brodie, Tara Armstrong and Jordan Kealy left the B.C. Conservatives in March to sit as Independents after controversial comments by Brodie questioning evidence of children's graves at residential schools led to backlash within the party. Brodie and Armstrong have since formed One BC.
In the letter, Rustad said the three MLAs used information collected by recording phone calls and taking pictures of texts to try to force Conservative staffers and MLAs to join them in leaving the B.C. Conservatives.
"From what I have been told, the threat is framed as something like: we will pay you handsomely to join with us, and we will damage you if you refuse," the letter reads.
The letter said the Independents were planning to release this information through the right-wing news outlet Rebel News. Rustad also said in the letter that he is considering involving the RCMP.
Rebel News has not released the secretly recorded information, but a reporter has posted the of the Rustad letter online.
One BC called for Rustad to release the evidence.
"If he has even a shred of evidence, we dare him to share it," the party said in its news release.
