1/24 #CDNpoli
A serious problem has developed with #CDNmedia's ability to cover #Elxn44 accurately + voters' ability to participate in honest debate about that issue, sorely threatening #democracy
This #thread is RE Mercedes Stephenson, #ethics, suspended accounts & #CDNlaw
2/24 #Thread #CDNpoli #Elxn44
Last month I posted a thread addressing Mercedes Stephenson & the alleged conflict of interest with her husband, Dan Mader, in an effort to neutralize #disinformation in the pre-writ phase. It received 87,000+ impressions
3/24 #Thread #CDNpoli #Elxn44
As you know, Mercedes Stephenson is the @globalnews Ottawa bureau chief
Husband Dan Mader is a Conservative strategist for both provincial & federal parties, spanning at least 2 decades
►archive.is/P3A4o
Pgs 14-15
►hilltimes.com/wp-content/upl…
4/24 #Thread #CDNpoli #Elxn44
Mercedes Stephenson's husband, Dan Mader, has also worked in the offices of Julian Fantino (defence minister) & John Baird (transportation minister) during Stephen Harper's former Conservative govt
He was lobbied extensively throughout that tenure
5/24 #Thread #CDNpoli #Elxn44
In fact, former Conservative minister John Baird is captured in photos of Mercedes Stephenson's wedding to Dan Mader
As a result, Mrs Stephenson-Mader received personal gifts from any prominent Conservatives who were invited by her to the big day
6/24 #Thread #CDNpoli #Elxn44
The couple exchanged vows on August 2, 2015 & while Mercedes Stephenson's wedding dress was fit for a princess, it was also crafted by a controversial Conservative
Justina McCaffrey ran against Karen McCrimmon in an effort to unseat Ottawa Liberals
7/24 #CDNpoli #Elxn44
However, Stephenson's dressmaker was mired in controversy when news broke that Justina McCaffrey was close gal pals with Faith Goldy (the banned-from-social-media neo-Nazi)
x1►archive.is/xBwnw
x2►archive.is/qkELL
x3►archive.is/4UiZF
8/24 #CDNpoli #Elxn44
Just a few weeks prior to their wedding, Irving Shipbuilding blasted Mercedes Stephenson for falsely reporting that Davie won the contract (May 25, 2015)
►archive.is/Nlqcr
Meanwhile Dan Mader had been part of procurement
►archive.is/bZmJl
9/24 #Thread #CDNpoli #Elxn44
This is the spark that would become the scandal to end VAdm Mark Norman's career in the Canadian Armed Forces
Mercedes Stephenson was the first to have word of it, before the election & 5 months before Harper/Davie deal
ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=6…
10/24 #Thread #CDNpoli #Elxn44
All that time VAdm Norman was investigated by RCMP, Conservatives never came materially to his defence
When it came to trial the charges were then dropped as Conservative staffers & ministers became central to investigation archive.is/ruKWw
11/24 #CDNpoli #Elxn44
Now to the current biz with Stephenson. Voter accounts (like @SugarmanSharna) have been suspended for 'harassing' her about this alleged conflict of interest with Dan Mader. She denies they're together & says it doesn't count
archive.is/7fgVz
12/24 #CDNpoli #Elxn44
Mercedes argued with a boatload of voters, who are concerned by the wife of the Conservative Party leader's strategist riding shotgun in a plane with Justin Trudeau, to cover the Liberal Party campaign, with a plausible financial interest in the outcome
13/24 #CDNpoli #Elxn44
Stephenson called it misogyny to expect her ethical disclosure. When she claimed male reporters aren't asked about romantic conflicts, the Twitterverse responded with Brian Lilley & Keith Baldrey
►archive.is/ZLdfj
14/24 #CDNpoli #Elxn44
Despite Stephenson's anger, she doesn't feel it's her responsibility to keep info about herself accurate (since she denies a relationship with Dan Mader)
She boasts that neither of their bios ever ethically disclosed the marriage
►archive.is/9aywY
15/24 #CDNpoli #Elxn44
She doubled-down that conflicts of interest are none of anybody's biz
►archive.is/2n6Vm
And despite arguing with so many, Stephenson never claimed to be divorced. She only cited neglect to wear her ring as proof it's over
►archive.is/96wWX
16/24 #CDNpoli #Elxn44
Mercedes Stephenson said talk of her union with Dan Mader is "false information"
►archive.is/AX9O9
She said they "haven't been together for years"
►archive.is/tYfOE
The claim is they were "separated in 2018"
►archive.is/1bTJE
17/24 #CDNpoli #Elxn44
But in May 2018, Mercedes Stephenson & Dan Mader attended the political media awards as husband & wife, as he & Andrew Scheer sat on the committee to bestow awards upon favourite journos
In June 2018 they attended the Governor General's gala together
18/24 #CDNpoli #Elxn44
No matter how much voters opined about the legality of marriage, Mercedes Stephenson deflected, shamed & privately messaged others with warnings to delete their concerns & accusations of harassing women. Women were silenced too
►archive.is/1zzFr
19/24 #CDNpoli #Elxn44
So here's what the law says
In Ontario, where Mercedes Stephenson & Dan Mader were married (among Conservative Party elites), a couple must live separately for one full year before a divorce can be granted #CDNlaw
►attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/family…
20/24 #CDNpoli #Elxn44
When it comes to dividing assets, Mercedes Stephenson has a vested interest in Dan Mader's wealth (& vice versa) for 6 years after the date of separation, or 2 years after divorce is settled
They were still together in mid 2018
►archive.is/47uln
21/24 #CDNpoli #Elxn44
I respectfully disagree with Stephenson about the implication of her legal status & that's without considering issues such as alimony/palimony post divorce
However well O'Toole's strategist fares can impact the amounts Mercedes & Dan may owe to each other
22/24 #CDNpoli #Elxn44
Disputes about Mercedes Stephenson's reporting have already arisen, as she claimed PMJT supporters threatened an immigrant to go back to Afghanistan
Other journos didn't hear the alleged racism & instead report rowdy MAGA reps
►archive.is/EWrAf
23/24 #CDNpoli #Elxn44
Marieke Walsh of the Globe & Mail appears to have footage of the exact moment Mercedes Stephenson alleges xenophobia & racism among Liberals
In this video there's no mention of the word Afghanistan & her claim appears debunked
24/24 #CDNpoli #Elxn44
So courts are logjammed due to COVID & Stephenson doesn't confirm divorcing Mader
Beside Conservatives, Dan's other boss has been DJI Tech
►archive.is/3yKOJ
For drones against Uighurs that O'Toole blames PMJT for
►archive.is/69TR5
& This
25/24 Postscript #CDNpoli #Elxn44
An overwhelming majority of polled voters feel that Mercedes Stephenson should be on leave during the election due to her alleged conflict of interest
But instead of being heard in a democratic fashion, they're finding their accounts suspended
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