Chuck Cadman's former staffer says there was only one meeting before vote

A former employee of deceased MP Chuck Cadman, Dan Wallace, has issued a statement saying there was only one meeting with two top Conservative Party of Canada officials before Cadman voted on the 2005 budget.

Wallace stated that the May 17 date mentioned in an upcoming Cadman biography is wrong, and that the only meeting occurred on May 19 between Cadman and two close associates of the prime minister: Tom Flanagan and Doug Finley.

Wallace's brief statement did not mention if Cadman met with other Conservative officials prior to meeting Finley and Flanagan shortly before the 2005 budget vote.

Cadman's widow Dona, a Conservative candidate in Surrey North, and Cadman's daughter Jodi and her husband have all stated that Cadman said he was offered a $1-million life insurance policy if he voted against the budget, which would have triggered a federal election.

The Conservatives have denied that Cadman was offered this inducement.

Here's a copy of Wallace's statement, which was released yesterday:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Statement from Mr. Dan Wallace

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 2, 2008

Today Mr. Wallace issued the following statement:

“The May meeting date included in a soon to be released book about Chuck Cadman is inaccurate. Unfortunately, because of that error, some media are now reporting that there were two meetings, one on May 17 and another on May 19, 2005, between party officials - Doug Finley and Tom Flanagan - and Chuck Cadman. For the record, there was only the one meeting between my former employer, Chuck Cadman, with Doug Finley and Tom Flanagan and it took place in his private office on May 19th. As I have stated publicly last week, I was outside that room and not privy to the details.”