Duffy’s second cheque causes gasps

(Update)

It wasn’t about ethics, it was about politics. So says ex-Conservative Senator Mike Duffy, over the spending scandal that has enveloped him, Pamela Wallin and Patrick Brazeau. Duffy threw a new bombshell in the Senate Monday afternoon.

He continues to blast the Conservative caucus, saying he’s the victim of monstrous defamation and hideous distortion by the Senate Committee. Duffy, announcing that not only did Nigel Wright, Prime Minister Harper’s Chief of Staff, write a cheque for $90,000 to cover Duffy’s disputed housing expense claim, he claims that Wright also wrote him a second cheque: “Nigel Wright not one payment, but two!”

Duffy, along with Wallin and Brazeau, are at the centre of a motion to have the trio suspended for their expense claims.

Stephen Harper appears to be contradicting his earlier claim that his former Chief of Staff resigned. Harper told a Halifax radio station Monday morning that Nigel Wright was “dismissed” after writing the cheque to pay back Mike Duffy’s inappropriate expenses. During question period in the Commons, opposition members wanted to know was Wright fired, or did he quit? Harper left a Parliamentary Secretary to field the questions.

Megan Leslie, Halifax MP:  “Mr. Speaker, the ever-changing stories of the Prime Minister are doing nothing to help his credibility on the Senate scandal. Nor is the Prime Minister being clear in his office s actions in the attempted cover up. This morning, the Prime Minister said he dismissed Nigel Wright after finding out about the $90,000 payoff. But just last Thursday, he told this House that Wright quote to his credit recognized that his decision was totally wrong and he has resigned. So, which version of the events are true. ”

Paul Calandra, Parliamentary Secretary:   “Mr. Speaker, what is clear is that Nigel Wright has accepted sole and full responsibility for his actions. He knows what he did was wrong, it was inappropriate. He also knows it would have been smart to let the Prime Minister know. Had the Prime Minister known, he would have, of course, never accepted it.  And Mr. Speaker, Nigel Wright no longer works in the office of the Prime Minister.

Harper initially praised Nigel Wright last spring, before appearing to regretfully accept his top lieutenant’s resignation several days later.