Kenney lieutenant denies running ‘puppet’ candidate in party leadership race

EDMONTON — The staffer at the centre of a spreading scandal over Alberta’s United Conservative leadership race says party leader Jason Kenney’s team did not direct and prop up a bogus candidate to attack Kenney’s main rival.

Matt Wolf, in a letter obtained by The Canadian Press, says when he worked on Kenney’s campaign, he shared policy and research ideas with the campaign of Jeff Callaway, but says Callaway made his own decisions, adding, “To be clear, this was not a ‘puppet’ type operation.”

And Wolf, in his letter to the UCP caucus, says he is “confident” Kenney’s team did not illicitly fund Callaway’s campaign, which would violate Alberta’s election financing laws.

Wolf, currently the deputy chief of staff for Kenney’s caucus, could not be immediately reached for comment.

In documents published Saturday by CBC and later obtained by The Canadian Press, Wolf is shown in emails and other exchanges giving Callaway’s organizers talking points, speech and policy advice attacking Kenney’s main rival in the race, Brian Jean.

Kenney and Callaway have previously denied working together, and Wolf says while his emails may look “unflattering,” this is normal practice among rival camps in politics.

Alberta NDP Deputy Premier Sarah Hoffman says the documents prove Kenney was not truthful when he repeatedly denied any connection with Callaway’s campaign, and says it shows that Kenney cannot be trusted with power.

The Canadian Press