Trudeau Libel Lawsuit Continues Written by: Vicky Sparks A libel lawsuit was filed last month against Liberal leader Justin Trudeau and his campaign leader, David MacNaughton. The lawsuit is being brought by former Liberal candidate Christine Innes who claims that Trudeau and MacNaughton prevented her from running in the Trinity-Spadina election amidst allegations of bullying and intimidation on the part of her campaign team. In the statement of defence, Trudeau and MacNaughton state that any damage done to Innes’ reputation was as a result of her own behaviour. They have copies of the complaints from former campaign volunteers who allege that they were harassed, bullied and intimidated by Innes’ husband, former Liberal MP Tony Ianno. The complaints outline harassing phone calls the volunteers received from Ianno where he threatened that the volunteers futures in the Liberal party would be in jeopardy should they not support his wife and publicly recant their previous complaints. The calls allegedly became so upsetting that one volunteer was forced to change their phone number. Innes claims that the alleged bullying scandal was used as a diversion to hide the real reason for her dismissal from the race. She claims that she was forced out because she refused to promise she wouldn’t challenge Chrystia Freeland, a Trudeau favourite in an upcoming election. Innes has also stated that she is unable to suitably defend herself if the identities of the volunteers who made the complaints is kept confidential. Trudeau and MacNaughton stand by their statements and continue to argue that their allegedly defamatory comments were not only true, but also a matter of public interest. They are asking for the lawsuit to be dismissed. Based on: “Justin Trudeau Lawsuit: Liberal Leader Says Christine Innes Has Only Herself to Blame”, Huffington Post, Written by Joan Bryden http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/05/28/justin-trudeau-christine-innes-lawsuit_n_5406367.html?utm_hp_ref=canada-politics