A Yukon RCMP federal investigations unit is investigating “harassing” messages that targeted the federal NDP candidate and derailed a virtual federal election forum featuring all four candidates for Yukon MP, according to Yukon RCMP spokesperson Calista MacLeod.
During the Yukon Chamber of Commerce’s all-candidates' forum held via Zoom on April 23, NDP candidate Katherine McCallum received a thread of what she originally described as “inappropriate” private messages sent from a Zoom user that appeared to be impersonating the Yukon’s Conservative candidate.
The News attended the forum virtually and witnessed the incident unfold in real time. The messages, which the News has reviewed, are sexual in nature and describe a sexual act.
In the middle of responding to a question, McCallum initially accused Conservative Party of Canada candidate Ryan Leef of sending her such messages.
Leef immediately denied sending her any messages and called out the “horrible” behaviour.
But there appeared to be a second “Ryan Leef” in the virtual room.
Organizers blocked the alleged impersonator, acknowledged the incident and continued the forum.
McCallum later spoke out about the content of the messages and the impact they had on her, and she apologized to Leef in a statement she made instead of responding to a question on energy.
The forum was eventually called off.
In a press release immediately following the suspended forum, organizers condemned “offensive and disrespectful behaviour” during the live event.
The release notes someone posing as another candidate began sending "private and harassing, disturbing" messages to McCallum.
Yukon chamber chair John Campbell said the incident was being reported to police.
In an interview following the forum, McCallum said she doesn't understand the imposter's motivation but she won't let people like them take her power away. If anything, it has "solidified her pride" in putting her name forward as a political candidate.
McCallum told the News she felt supported by her team, the forum organizers and the other three candidates, including Leef, Brendan Hanley of the Liberals and Gabrielle Dupont of the Green Party.
Leef's campaign team expressed by phone to the News Leef's "unequivocal solidarity in rejecting the offensive comments she received."
RCMP declined to elaborate on the ongoing investigation.
Marie-Ève Vézina in communications for the Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections couldn’t confirm if the office, which does investigations, has received a complaint or initiated an investigation into the matter due to confidentiality provisions in the Canada Elections Act.
Vézina wasn’t in a position to speculate as to whether the events in question would fall under the commissioner’s mandate, according to the email.
“That said, I can tell you that if we were to receive a complaint on this or any other topic, it would be carefully reviewed. If the circumstances fall within the parameters set out in the Act, then a review or investigation may be initiated,” Vézina said.
“For that reason, we do encourage anyone who believes they may have witnessed wrongdoing under the Canada Elections Act to bring the matter to our attention and to provide as many details as possible in order to assist us with our review.”
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com
