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over nine-thousand Canadians are at risk of loosing their job.

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An international body, OECD, announced on Monday that it is monitoring allegations that Justin Trudeau and his office attempted to politically interfere in the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin, which if true could put Canada in violation of a multilateral anti-bribery agreement.

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On February 27, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer called on Trudeau to resign, saying Wilson-Raybould’s troubling testimony about SNC-Lavalin proved the prime minister has lost the moral authority to govern.

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Liberals have taken a polling hit, over SNC Lavalin

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The international economic group that oversees a global anti-bribery convention is monitoring allegations that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau interfered in a criminal prosecution against SNC-Lavalin.

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The international economic group that oversees a global anti-bribery convention is monitoring allegations that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau interfered in a criminal prosecution against SNC-Lavalin.

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's working group on bribery said in a statement Monday that it is "concerned" by accusations that Trudeau and staff in his office tried to get former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould to let the Quebec engineering giant negotiate a remediation agreement rather than pursue the firm on criminal charges of bribery and fraud.

SNC-Lavalin is accused of bribing Libyan officials between 2001 and 2011 to win business there.

Canada is one of 44 nations that in 1999 signed the legally binding Anti-Bribery Convention, which established international standards to criminalize the bribery of foreign officials. The idea was that all signatories - including all 36 OECD nations as well as eight others, such as Russia and Brazil - would punish their own citizens and companies for trying to undermine governments elsewhere.
Watch: The Power Panel discusses OECD 'concerns' about SNC-Lavalin controversy
Keeping an eye on Canada

The working group is tasked with monitoring the implementation and enforcement of the convention. It wrote to the Prime Minister's Office to express its concerns about the SNC-Lavalin matter and says it is keeping a close eye on investigations by the House of Commons justice committee and the federal ethics commissioner. It says Canada has pledged to update the group on the matter at the working group's June meeting.

The statement says Canada's commitment under the convention is to "prosecutorial independence in foreign bribery cases" and that political factors - such as national economic interests and the identities of the company or individuals involved - should have no influence on the prosecution.

.<a href="https://twitter.com/Lizacorn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Lizacorn</a> says OECD anti-bribery convention is at root of Canada's anti foreign bribery law. Only way it could work is if all countries undertook obligation to not allow their companies to engage in bribery...enforcement has to be applied in way that ensures level playing field. <a href="https://t.co/a1hyy1HTQe">pic.twitter.com/a1hyy1HTQe</a>
&mdash; @PnPCBC

Adam Austen, a spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, said Canada "firmly supports" the OECD and noted Canada was a founding country in the Anti-Bribery Convention.

"We acknowledge the concerns raised today by the OECD working group on bribery," he said in a written statement. "We will continue to work with and update the working group on the robust and independent domestic processes currently underway in Canada, which the working group has recognized and encouraged."

Last year, the Liberals introduced a new law to allow the director of public prosecutions to use what are known internationally as deferred-prosecution agreements (DPAs). These agreements shelve a criminal prosecution of a company in exchange for the company admitting wrongdoing, paying fines, giving up any money it earned in the commission of the crime it is accused of and agreeing to be monitored for a period of time.

If the company fulfils the terms of the agreement, the criminal penalties can be dropped. If the company fails to keep its end of the bargain, the charges can still go forward.

Last fall, the director of public prosecutions in Canada decided SNC-Lavalin was not eligible for a remediation agreement. Wilson-Raybould, then the attorney general, decided not to use her authority to overrule that decision.

Under pressure

Wilson-Raybould said that after that, multiple people from Trudeau's office, the finance minister's office and the Privy Council Office all put sustained, improper pressure on her to change her mind. She said that when she wouldn't do so, she was shuffled out as minister of justice and attorney general to the lower-profile job of minister of veterans affairs. She ultimately resigned from cabinet entirely a few days after the Globe and Mail newspaper first reported on the allegations.

Treasury Board President Jane Philpott resigned from cabinet last week, citing a lack of confidence in how Trudeau had handled the matter.

Trudeau's principal secretary, Gerald Butts, resigned his own post Feb. 18. He said last week he resigned not because he had done anything wrong, but because he felt if he stayed on after Wilson-Raybould resigned it would look as though Trudeau was choosing him, a longtime friend, over a minister.

Trudeau and his staff deny anything improper occurred, saying they only wanted to make sure Wilson-Raybould had information about the potential effect a prosecution and conviction could have on SNC-Lavalin's viability and wanted her to seek an outside expert opinion on remediation agreements - a brand-new tool in Canada's criminal law.

Last week, Trudeau blamed the problem on a breakdown in trust between Wilson-Raybould and his office and committed to hiring outside experts to advise the government on interactions between political and public service staff on justice files.

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OECD 'concerned' by allegations Trudeau interfered in SNC-Lavalin case | CBC News

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The international economic group that oversees a global anti-bribery convention is monitoring allegations that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau interfered in a criminal prosecution against SNC-Lavalin.

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9000 Canadians will lose jobs due to these circumstances and Actions will be take against this company.

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In 2015, the RCMP charged the company—a major employer in Quebec—with corruption for allegedly paying various Libyan government officials nearly $48 million in bribes, and defrauding other Libyan entities to the tune of nearly $130 million

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9000 canadians are at risk of loosing jobs

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SNC stands for Surveyer Nenniger & Chênevert

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Although the PMO has warned that continuing with the case may put the jobs of 9 000 Canadians at risk, job loss is unlikely. Even if they are found guilty it would take years for the court to deliver the verdict.

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It's been over a month since the SNC-Lavalin scandal broke, leaving in its wake a lot of questions linked to one big one - about whether the prime minister and his senior staffers exerted improper pressure on the attorney general.

At the centre of this furor is the core question of whether the Prime Minister's Office attempted to inappropriately influence then-attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould to issue a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) for SNC-Lavalin. A DPA is a legal tool similar to a plea bargain that would allow the engineering giant to avoid a criminal trial on bribery charges by admitting wrongdoing, paying fines, giving up any money it earned in the commission of a crime and agreeing to be monitored for a period of time.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's denial of wrongdoing has done nothing to put the controversy to bed. The answers to the following four unanswered questions may decide how - or if - Trudeau and his Liberal government can recover from the worst political crisis they've faced to date.

Will SNC-Lavalin get a deferred prosecution agreement?

Despite the scandal that has engulfed Trudeau's government, SNC-Lavalin could still get a DPA.

Both Director of Public Prosecutions Kathleen Roussel and Wilson-Raybould refused to give SNC-Lavalin a DPA. On Friday, the Federal Court upheld Roussel's decision.

David Lametti, Canada's new attorney general, and the prime minister himself have said that a DPA remains an option until there's a trial.

Craig Martin Scott, a York University law professor, also agrees that nothing would stop the attorney general from overturning both the director of public prosecutions' and his predecessor's decision to let the DPP's call stand.

But it might not be practical to expect any attorney general to keep up to speed on the case for that long, he said.

"To say that the AG has the same kind of active duty to constantly be keeping in mind a file in order to determine [whether to] intervene with the prosecutors, that just doesn't follow," he said. "No system can work with the AG constantly being on watch over multiple files as to whether they're going to intervene."

Having Canada's attorney general intervene in a matter that was closed entails some geopolitical risk as well.

China's foreign ministry already has questioned whether the Canadian government is enjoying a double standard in its legal treatment of foreign and domestic firms - arresting Huawei's Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou on an American extradition request while pursuing a legal tool that would allow a major Canadian employer to avoid a criminal trial.

Former attorney general Irwin Cotler said Beijing is already spinning the scandal in its favour.

"I see this as really as a political manipulation and misrepresentation of the rule of law in Canada," Cotler told CBC's Power and Politics Thursday.

Are thousands of jobs really at stake if SNC-Lavalin is found guilty?

Although the PMO has warned that proceeding with criminal charges against SNC Lavalin could put about 9,000 Canadian jobs at risk, experts say that kind of job loss is unlikely.

Even if a court finds SNC-Lavalin guilty of criminal charges and ineligible to bid on federal contracts for a decade, it would take a number of years for the court to deliver that verdict.

And the engineering company would still be eligible to bid on private sector, municipal and provincial government contracts.

SNC-Lavalin now has most of its business and employees tied up with international work, and it would still be legally permitted to bid on foreign contracts.

And even if large numbers of SNC-Lavalin employees find themselves thrown out of work by a conviction, they'd likely be able to pick up work elsewhere since skilled engineers are in high demand, as the CBC's David Cochrane points out in the CBC Frontburner podcast.

Does Canada's cabinet system make attorneys-general vulnerable to political pressure?

In her testimony before the Commons justice committee, Wilson-Raybould said the pressure exerted on her as attorney general wasn't illegal, but it was inappropriate.

Trudeau and the PMO have insisted that they always made it clear to Wilson-Raybould that the decision to proceed with prosecution rested with her alone, and that none of the conversations he or his staff had with her were inappropriate.

In short, the events of the last couple of weeks have raised the question of whether there should be a political firewall between the PMO, cabinet and the attorney general.

Currently, the attorney general sits at the cabinet table with other federal ministers. Wilson-Raybould alleges 11 people from the PMO, the Privy Council Office and the Department of Finance politically interfered with her duties.

Many, including Wilson-Raybould, have called on Canada to consider following the lead of England and Wales and other jurisdictions, where the office of the attorney general and the justice minister are kept separate.

"I think it would be a lost opportunity not to have a real discussion about whether this dual role is still sustainable," Trevor Farrow, associate dean at Osgoode Hall Law School, told CBC News recently.

"It's also important to put Canadians at ease - that they not only see that they have a justice system that is fair and equitable, but that it's seen to be fair and equitable for all players, not just the powerful."

What will come of the investigations?

The PMO's actions on this file are the subject of two investigations - one by the Commons justice committee and the other by the federal ethics commissioner.

After hearing from all of its witnesses, the committee will issue a final report. It's not clear what will be in that report and whether it will have the unanimous support of all parties represented on the committee.

The ethics commissioner is digging into whether Trudeau or his staffers violated section nine of the Conflict of Interest Act.

The section prohibits senior government officials from influencing the decisions of another person so as to "improperly further another person's private interests."

But in the end, the act doesn't give the commissioner the power to impose fines or any type of punishment.

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Four questions without answers about the SNC-Lavalin scandal | CBC News

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It's been over a month since the SNC-Lavalin scandal broke, leaving in its wake a lot of questions linked to one big one - about whether the prime minister and his senior staffers exerted improper pressure on the attorney general.

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SNC Lavlin earned $7.5 BILLION
IN REVENUES

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Although the PMO has warned that proceeding with criminal charges against SNC Lavalin could put about 9,000 Canadian jobs at risk, experts say that kind of job loss is unlikely.

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Although the PMO has warned that proceeding with criminal charges against SNC Lavalin could put about 9,000 Canadian jobs at risk, experts say that kind of job loss is unlikely.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/snc-lavalin-wilson-raybould-trudeau-1.5051909

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SNC Lavlin signed a contract of approximately $240 million (USD180 million) with
Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Company (KIPIC) for commissioning
management support services, as well as the preparation and delivery of
training, documentation and competency development consultancy services,
at the country’s Al Zour Refinery. KIPIC is a subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum
Corporation. The Al-Zour refinery will have the biggest refining capacity in
the Middle East.

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Andrew Scheer wins debate between Trudeau, as Trudeau keeps repeating the same words the whole time.

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Andrew Scheer DESTROYS Justin Trudeau complete exposure!

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- SNC-Lavalin paid $48 million in illegal bribes in Libya
-SNC-Lavalin paid millions of dollars for prostitutes, porn and parties for Saadi Gaddafi, son of Muammar Gaddafi
- RCMP wont investigate
-Jane Philpott (Justice Minister) resigned saying that Trudeau was deeply unethical
- SNC-Lavalin is also a major donor to the Liberal Party of Canada
-Wilson-Raybould testified that Justin Trudeau and his staff (including his principal secretary Gerald Butts) as well as Katie Telford, (Trudeau's chief of staff ) spent months trying to obstruct justice in the SNC-Lavalin case. (That’s a crime that is punishable with up to 10 years in prison).

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On last night's episode of , I reported on The Associated Press printing an article defending Justin Trudeau's handling of the SNC-Lavalin scandal.

The SNC-Lavalin scandalis the biggest scandal to rock Prime Minister Justin Trudeau since he joined Parliament. It's so huge that even foreign countries are paying attention to it, and wondering what it is all about.

So what do the great fact-checkers at the Associated Press have to say? What is their big briefing to their American audience about the SNC-Lavalin scandal?

Here's how the AP story starts:

There's no money, no sex and nothing illegal happened. This is what passes for a scandal in Canada.

But is it true that "nothing illegal happened"? No. The matter hasn't been investigated yet, not by the Mounties, an independent inquiry, or even Trudeau's own lap-dog, hand-picked "ethics counsellor."

The Parliamentary hearings - as limited as they are - aren't even done.
But the AP have seen enough to decide that no crime has been committed.
The AP continues, claiming that, "no financial or sexual misconduct is alleged."

Really? On what planet?

SNC-Lavalin paid $48 million in illegal bribes in Libya, and evidence has emerged that they commit bribery pretty much everywhere they work,including in Canada.

And no sex? SNC-Lavalin paid millions of dollars forprostitutes, porn and parties for Saadi Gaddafi,son of Muammar Gaddafi - this was part of their bribery.

I'll also show you two of the "experts" AP contacted to comment in this report. Both of them are Liberal partisans - one of whom, described only as a "professor," is also regular Liberal Party donor, who calls Jody Wilson-Raybould "nuts."

Their ties to the Liberal Party were not made at all clear in the Associated Press article, which, because AP is a wire service, was designed to be picked up by publications all over the world, to "explain" the SNC-Lavalin scandal to non-Canadians.

So the next time AP says they're fact-checking someone or blocks your Facebook search, just remember:

They're liars...

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AP conceals Liberal Party ties of "experts" defending Trudeau and SNC-Lavalin

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On last night's episode of , I reported on The Associated Press printing an article defending Justin Trudeau's handling of the SNC-Lavalin scandal. The SNC-Lavalin scandal is the biggest scandal to rock Prime Minister Justin Trudeau since he joined Parliament. It's so huge that even foreign countries are paying attention to it, and wondering what it is all about.

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SNC-Lavalin faces charges of fraud and corruption in connection with nearly $48 million in payments made to Libyan government officials between 2001 and 2011. If convicted, the company could be blocked from competing for federal government contracts for a decade.

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The testimony from Justin Trudeau's former principal secretary, Gerald Butts, and the subsequent news conference held by the prime minister were just two more significant developments this week in the ever-widening SNC-Lavalin controversy.

Butts appeared before the Commons justice committee on Wednesday, providing a counter-narrative to the testimony it had heard from Jody Wilson-Raybould, the former justice minister and attorney general.

His appearance came just two days after the resignation of Jane Philpott, a key and highly respected minister, who stepped down as Treasury Board president because she had "lost confidence in how the government has dealt with this matter."

The scandal has already led to two investigations: one by the justice committee and another by the federal ethics commissioner. It has also sparked calls from Opposition Leader Andrew Scheer for Trudeau's resignation and for the RCMP to probe the allegations.

It all centres on one key question: Did the prime minister, someone in his office or other government officials try to pressure Wilson-Raybould when she was attorney general to step in and resolve the corruption and fraud case against SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. in an effort to spare the Montreal-based engineering giant from criminal prosecution?

Along with Philpott's resignation, the scandal has had other political ramifications. It has cost Trudeau his principal secretary, Butts, who resigned from that key role but has denied any wrongdoing. His resignation came nearly a week after Wilson-Raybould said she was stepping down from her post as veterans affairs minister.

The justice committee has agreed to investigate what, if any, pressure Wilson-Raybould was subjected to regarding the SNC-Lavalin case. It had been unclear what Wilson-Raybould could say at that committee, as she was bound by solicitor-client privilege.

But on Feb. 25, the government issued an order-in-council that, in effect, waived solicitor-client privilege between the former attorney general and her client, the government. It excluded, however, any communications between Wilson-Raybould and the director of public prosecutions on SNC-Lavalin while she was justice minister.

Meanwhile, the ethics commissioner is investigating whether there was a breach of Section 9 of the Conflict of Interest Act, which prohibits any official responsible for high-level decision-making in government from seeking to influence the decision of another person so as to "improperly further another person's private interests."

Here is what you need to know about the ongoing scandal:

What is SNC's role in this scandal?

SNC-Lavalin faces charges of fraud and corruption in connection with nearly $48 million in payments made to Libyan government officials between 2001 and 2011. If convicted, the company could be blocked from competing for federal government contracts for a decade.

SNC-Lavalin had hoped that its fraud and corruption charges could be resolved with what's known as a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA), which would spare the company a trial and possible criminal conviction. The company had lobbied federal officials for such an outcome, according to the Globe and Mail.

But in October, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada determined SNC had not met the criteria for a DPA.

What is a deferred prosecution agreement?

Last year, the Trudeau government amended the Criminal Code to establish remediation agreements,also known as deferred prosecution agreements.

This amendment, which SNC-Lavalin had lobbied the government to introduce, would allow companies accused of certain economic offences - such as bribery, fraud and corruption - to be spared criminal charges.

Instead, these companies could admit wrongdoing and pay a financial penalty. Part of the reasoning behind the amendment, according to the Criminal Code, was to "reduce the negative consequences of the wrongdoing for persons - employees, customers, pensioners and others - who did not engage in the wrongdoing."

In the case of SNC-Lavalin, which employs nearly 9,000 Canadians across the country, the concern has been that a successful criminal prosecution against the company could cost many jobs and damage the economy, particularly in Quebec.

However, the section of the Criminal Code that lays out the conditions for remediation agreements states that the prosecutor, when considering such an agreement, must not factor in the "national economic interest" or "the potential effect on relations with a state other than Canada."

What was the nature of the alleged pressure?

The controversy began with a Globe and Mail story, published on Feb. 7, that alleged Trudeau's office had "attempted to press" Wilson-Raybould to intervene in the corruption and fraud prosecution of SNC-Lavalin.

The story said Wilson-Raybould "came under heavy pressure" to persuade the Public Prosecution Service of Canada to change its mind. But she was unwilling to instruct the director of the public prosecution service to negotiate the agreement, the Globe reported.

On Feb. 27, Wilson-Raybould backed up the allegations in the Globe story. Speaking in front of the justice committee, Wilson-Raybould said that for four months from September to December 2018, she "experienced a consistent and sustained effort by many people within the government to seek to politically interfere in the exercise of prosecutorial discretion in my role as the attorney general of Canada in an inappropriate effort to secure a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with SNC-Lavalin."

She said this included in-person conversations, telephone calls, emails and text messages, and those in-person conversations included one with the prime minister.

"Within these conversations, there were express statements regarding the necessity of interference in the SNC-Lavalin matter, the potential of consequences and veiled threats if a DPA was not made available to SNC," she said.​

What does she allege about the PM?

Wilson-Raybould alleged that pressure also came from Trudeau.

In a conversation with Trudeau on Sept. 17, 2018, and with the clerk of the Privy Council Michael Wernick in attendance, Wilson-Raybould claimed the prime minister told her they need to find a solution for SNC. She said he told her many jobs would be lost without a DPA, and that the company would move from Montreal, that an election was coming up in Quebec and that he was an MP for that province.

"I was quite taken aback. My response - and I remember this vividly as well - was to ask the prime minister a direct question while looking him in the eye. I asked: "Are you politically interfering with my role, my decision as the attorney general? I would strongly advise against it.

"The prime minister said, "No, no, no - we just need to find a solution."

Wilson-Raybould said she told Trudeau she had done her due diligence and made up her mind on SNC and was not going to interfere with the decision of the director.

She also claimed that when she learned from the prime minister on Jan. 7 that she was going to be shuffled out of her role as attorney general, she told him she believed it was because of the SNC matter. She said that was denied.

Who does she allege pressured her?

Wilson-Raybould claims that 11 people from the PMO, the Privy Council Office and the office of the minister of Finance pressured her.

Along with the prime minister, those individuals include Trudeau's chief of staff Katie Telford, his then-principal secretary Butts, PMO staffers Mathieu Bouchard and Elder Marques, Finance Minister Bill Morneau, Morneau's chief of staff Ben Chin and clerk of the Privy Council Wernick.

Wilson-Raybould also said that in a Dec. 5 meeting with Butts, she told him she "needed everybody to stop talking" to her about SNC, that she had made up her mind and that further engagements would be inappropriate.

So what if government tried to influence its own AG?

The attorney general is supposed to be an independent, non-partisan role, and the most important part of that non-partisan role is the oversight of federal prosecutions. This independence is a trait not shared by other cabinet roles.

"The role of the AG and prosecutors is to act in the public interest, not in the interest of whoever is in the PMO," University of Ottawa law professor Craig Forcese wrote in his blog. "They must, therefore, not be under the thumb of the political executive, and indeed must be insulated from political pressures that would, for instance, leave some people favoured in the criminal justice system, and others targeted."

This means that while cabinet ministers and the prime minister can consult with the attorney general, they cannot instruct or pressure the attorney general to make any specific decision regarding criminal cases.

Wilson-Raybould herself testified that it is appropriate for cabinet colleagues to draw to the attorney general's attention what they see as important policy considerations that are relevant to decisions about how a prosecution will proceed.

"What is not appropriate is pressing the attorney general on matters that she or he cannot take into account, such as partisan political considerations; continuing to urge the attorney general to [change] her or his mind for months after the decision has been made; or suggesting that a collision with the prime minister on these matters should be avoided."

Can the AG overrule a decision from the director of public prosecutions?

Yes. The director works "under and on behalf" of the attorney general, who can issue directives regarding specific prosecutions.

Section 10 of the DPP Act says the attorney general can issue directives "on the initiation or conduct of any specific prosecution and with respect to prosecutions generally."

Indeed, there very well be a situation where "there is disagreement between the DPP and the attorney general as to whether to proceed with certain types of prosecutions," according to the Public Prosecution Service of Canada website.

However, in those cases, when the attorney general has issued a directive, those directives are to be made in writing, and made public by being published in the Canada Gazette, the official newspaper of the Government of Canada.

What's been the response to the allegations from current and former government officials?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
When the story first appeared, Trudeau said the allegations in the Globe story "are false" and insisted that neither he nor any of his staff "directed" Wilson-Raybould to intervene in the case. Critics have pointed out that the Globe story never used the word "directed."

Trudeau has told reporters that in a conversation with Wilson-Raybould before she resigned, she had confirmed to him the details of a discussion they had in the fall. In that discussion, he said, he'd told her "that any decisions on matters involving the director of public prosecutions were hers and hers alone."

Following Wilson-Raybould's appearance at the justice committee, Trudeau reiterated his claims that neither he nor any of his staff did anything inappropriate in their dealings with the former attorney general. He said he completely disagrees with her characterization of the events that took place.

A day after Butts's testimony, Trudeau held a news conference to state that an "erosion of trust" had developed between Butts and Wilson-Raybould and that it was his responsibility to be aware of it.

He also said he wished Wilson-Raybould had told him that she felt contacts from his officials amounted to inappropriate pressure.

He admitted he had asked Wilson-Raybould to revisit her decision on the file, and whether she would be open to such a review. Trudeau claimed she was willing to do so, contradicting her testimony.

He also acknowledged that during his Sept. 17 meeting with Wilson-Raybould, he pointed out that he was the MP for Papineau, a riding in Quebec - where SNC-Lavalin is based - but denied he was pressuring her for partisan interests.
Gerald Butts
In Butts's resignation letter, he denied that he - or anyone else in the PMO - pressured Wilson-Raybould to change her mind on the SNC-Lavalin file.

He also said when they met on Dec. 5, he did not recall Wilson-Raybould saying anything about anyone pressuring her inappropriately.

He said that with the possibility of at least 9,000 jobs at stake, he and government officials were hoping Wilson-Raybould would seek an additional legal opinion, like one from retired Supreme Court justice Beverley McLachlin, before making a final decision.

Wilson-Raybould should have put her final decision in writing, as well as any concerns she had about the tactics being used by government officials, he said.
Michael Wernick
In his testimony before the justice committee, Wernick said he called Wilson-Raybould on Dec. 19, 2018, and mentioned the prime minister and many of Wilson-Raybould's colleagues were anxious about the job losses that could result from prosecuting the company. But Wernick assured the committee those conversations "were within the boundaries of what's lawful and appropriate."

He also slammed the initial Globe article, saying it "contains errors, unfounded speculation and, in some cases, is simply defamatory."

In a second appearance before the committee, Wernick denied he had made any "veiled threats" to Wilson-Raybould but warned her of the "consequences" of not agreeing to a DPA - that thousands of jobs could be lost.

Are there any potential criminal implications for the PMO?

Criminal defence lawyer Joseph Neuberger said if there was a genuine attempt by anybody in the PMO, including the prime minister, to speak with the attorney general about ending an investigation or a criminal prosecution of any type, that can amount to obstruction of justice and/or interference with a public official. More specifically, obstructing a public officer or peace officer in the execution of her duty.

He said it would certainly be fair for the PMO or cabinet colleagues to ask the attorney general about the SNC-Lavalin prosecution, including how it was being handled, or even talk about the ramifications of a conviction.

The potential problem, Neuberger said, is if the conversation amounted to an overt or implicit directive to the attorney general.

Wilson-Raybould said Wednesday that despite the pressure she felt, she did not believe what transpired was illegal.

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What you need to know about the SNC-Lavalin affair | CBC News

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The resignation of Jody Wilson-Raybould from the Liberal cabinet on Feb. 12 was a significant development in the SNC-Lavalin affair, a controversy that has now sparked two investigations and continues to dog Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. CBC News untangles the ever-widening controversy.

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Trudeau tried to intervene with an investigation of a security company in Quebec. He pressured the Jody Wilson (Minister of Justice and Attorney) to stop the investigation.