Mayor Ted Adlem wants a criminal conviction and is seeking damages in court after emails allegedly containing defamatory statements about him and political blackmail were sent to numerous election candidates and senior staff members at the District of Mission.
The defendant was unknown when the suit was filed in BC Supreme Court last week, but now the court documents are being amended to list Ron Taylor, a former Mission councillor, as a defendant.
The emails sent on Oct 4, 15, 17, and 30 originated from an account belonging to a “Keith Rawes.”
Through a court order, Adlem and his lawyers traced the computer IP address used to access the account. A second IP address was found, but it failed to login in to the account, according to court documents.
Initially, a false name was used and traced to an Internet service provider in Pennsylvania, said Elyssa Lockhart, a lawyer at McQuarrie Hunter LLP who is representing Adlem.
After obtaining the correct IP address associated with the account, Lockhart said they traced it to a TELUS user in Mission.
Last week the court ordered TELUS to disclose the owner of the address.
According to the statement of facts by the plaintiff, the emails “falsely and maliciously” allege that Adlem engaged in sexual impropriety, improperly made use of his public office, and was a person of immoral character. The emails also contained a threat of further defamation.
Adlem is seeking an injunction restraining further broadcasting of similar messages by the defendant, and damages.
Adlem said the rumours have not affected his work as Mission’s mayor, but characterized the emails as an attempt to influence the outcome of the election.
“This has been a personal attack on my wife,” Adlem added. “Now I’m angry.”
It was the final email on Oct. 30 that prompted legal action, said Lockhart.
“It clearly says this individual wants to change the election results,” Lockhart explained. “ … it contained a statement that says if the mayor doesn’t throw his weight behind an opposing mayoral candidate, bad things will happen.”
Taylor, who served as a councillor in Mission for four terms with the most recent ending in 2005, denies any involvement in the incident.
“None of those emails were sent by me,” said Taylor. “This did not come from my computer.”
Taylor told The Record he had been having problems with his computer router at home for the past seven months and every time it acts up, he resets the device to its factory settings, which resets the password and leaves his network unsecured.
“I should’ve known better,” admitted Taylor, 72, who worked for IBM and was the IT director for the City of Burnaby before his retirement.
Taylor was instrumental in organizing Citizens Responsible for Municipal Government (CRMG) in the 2011 election, but he says he has deliberately stayed out of any campaigns this year.
“If I had something to say, I would’ve said it. This isn’t my style,” said Taylor, who resigned from the group more than two years ago.
Mission Mounties are also investigating the incident. Adlem filed a complaint with the RCMP on Nov. 7, three days after the civil claim was filed in court.
Police are looking into the possibility of infractions to the Elections Act and the criminal code, explained Sgt. Shaun Wright.
“The criminal investigation is unrelated to the civil action,” Wright said.
