Turmoil Strikes BC Conservative Party as Former Staffer Allegedly Hires Private Investigator
The BC Conservative Party is in the midst of turmoil as it has come to light that a former staffer reportedly engaged a private investigator to spy on sitting MLAs, a journalist, and individuals who have previously been associated with the party.
Former party president Aisha Estey revealed that she, along with a group of others, has been targeted by a private investigator allegedly employed by someone within the party.
Expressing her shock, Estey stated, “This is a new low. I suppose I should have expected it.”
Estey recounted receiving a phone call on Wednesday notifying her that she and several others had been under investigation by a private investigator.
According to Estey, the current party president informed her that Elaine Allan, a former executive director of the BC Conservatives, had hired the investigator and purportedly utilized party funds for payment.
Further claims emerged from a lawyer representing the party, alleging that Allan had engaged the investigator during her tenure as executive director without the party’s knowledge or authorization.
Estey emphasized that the party board was unaware of these actions and did not endorse them.
Despite attempts to obtain a response from Allan regarding the allegations, no reply was received by CityNews. Approximately a dozen individuals, including four sitting MLAs associated with the party, such as Claire Rattee, Áʼa꞉líya Warbus, Brennan Day, former party manager Phillip Dippenaar, CHEK News political correspondent Rob Shaw, and former executive director Angelo Isidorou, confirmed being subjects of the investigation.
These revelations come at a critical time for the BC Conservatives, with leader Kerry Lynn Findlay asserting she will not be stepping down from her position in the wake of the controversy.
Findlay, when questioned about the investigation, professed ignorance, stating, “I had no knowledge of it; I was unaware of it. They are just allegations at this point…Yes, the party is looking into it.”
Estey did not hold back in her criticism of working with Findlay, labeling the former MP’s call for unity as “lip service.”
Expressing her concerns, Estey termed the investigation as invasive and unsettling. “It’s very unsettling. You think back like, oh, did I feel like someone was watching me on my way to work?”
These events unfold just days before the Abbotsford-Mission byelection, where Kerry Lynn Findlay is vying for a legislative seat, raising questions about the impact on the campaign.
