According to Mayor Larry O’Brien’s defence lawyer Michael Edelson, Ottawa-West Nepean MP John Baird informed Terry Kilrea during a meeting on July 19, 2006 that he was not qualified for a position with the National Parole Board (NPB).
O’Brien is facing charges of influence peddling from allegations that he attempted to get Kilrea appointed to the NPB if he dropped out of the 2006 mayoral election.
Kilrea insisted he never discussed the appointment with Baird, except for a July 12, 2006 email in which he advised Baird that he was interested in the appointment.
Kilrea said yesterday the hour-long meeting in Baird’s office in the Confederation Building was strictly about a “complication” in the campaign because he worked as an enforcement officer with the provincial attorney general.
On July 12, 2006, Kilrea received a letter from his supervisor that he interpreted to be a cease-and-desist order, due to undeclared potential conflicts of interest.
“The conflict of interest guide book is very clear,” said Kilrea. “You have to stop your campaign and apply to the deputy minister.”
Kilrea stated earlier in his testimony this exchange was “a living hell” and he wrote to O’Brien that he could be dismissed from his job on July 19. He wasn’t.
Due to the timing of the letter, Kilrea said he also suspected either the mayoral incumbent Bob Chiarelli or O’Brien was trying to force him out of the campaign.
On July 17, 2006, Kilrea said he sent O’Brien an email saying that the situation was cleared up and that he was free to run.
That email, said Kilrea, was sent as a ruse to make O’Brien think that the ploy had not worked.
Edelson accused Kilrea of using a simple request for paperwork to attract sympathy and voters by portraying himself as a victim of the provincial Liberals.
“You totally misunderstood and misinterpreted the episode. Isn’t that correct?” said Edelson.
Kilrea returns to the witness stand when the trial resumes Tuesday.
