Han Dong says he plans to pursue legal action against Global News and Corus Entertainment following the network’s published allegations that the Toronto area MP suggested delaying the release of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig to a Chinese diplomat in early 2021.
Global’s report, citing anonymous sources, alleges that the Member of Parliament for Don Valley North – who resigned from the Liberal caucus last week – told Han Tao, China’s consul general in Toronto, that releasing “the two Michaels” would benefit the Conservatives.
The network’s ongoing investigative reporting into allegations Dong was part of a Chinese foreign interference network includes the assertion that senior aides in the PMO’s office were briefed on CSIS suspicions about Dong – then an MPP – being supported by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) three weeks before the 2019 federal election, but chose to ignore them. Former Governor General David Johnston has been appointed Special Rapporteur to determine whether a public inquiry into foreign election interference is warranted.
In a statement posted to Twitter on Monday morning, Dong said he had retained a lawyer “to begin legal action to its fullest extent.” He went on to talk about his father’s emigration to Canada after spending time in a “re-education camp” during the Cultural Revolution, where he was subjected to forced labour, leading him to determine there was no future for his family in China.
“The trauma left on my father is one of the compelling reasons why, as co-chair of the Canada-China Legislative Association and a Member of Parliament, I took every available opportunity to advocate on behalf of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor and to call for their immediate release. It is inconceivable that I would ever suggest a falsely accused individual should spend an extra minute in jail,” stated Dong.
“I voted in support of a public inquiry on foreign interference to demonstrate to my family, colleagues and constituents that I have nothing to hide and to remind my false accusers and Global News that the truth will always come out in the end,” his statement continued.
Global News is standing by its reporting.
“Global News is governed by a rigorous set of Journalistic Principles and Practices. We are very mindful of the public interest and legal responsibility of this important accountability reporting,” said Sonia Verma, Editor in Chief and VP of Global News, in a statement provided to Broadcast Dialogue.
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