NO INDICATION PROBE HAS DIRECT POLITICAL LINK: MARISSEN

Martin's Top Organizer in B.C. Says Federal Connection 'Tenuous'

OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Paul Martin's top organizer in B.C. moved Sunday
to distance the federal government and the federal Liberal party from a
police investigation that has resulted in search warrants being executed
against individuals closely linked to Martin's leadership campaign.

Mark Marissen, who last week was visited at his home office by police and
voluntarily handed over documents, said he was given no indication by
police that there is a direct political link.

"Based on my discussion with police, and I can only speak for myself ..
there is no organized crime or drug connection to the federal government or
to officials within the party, or to the Paul Martin campaign," Marissen
told The Vancouver Sun.

Marissen, whose office was not one of those targeted with a warrant, also
said the federal government's "connection to the case, overall, is
extremely tenuous at best."

He said police showed no interest in the leadership organization's
involvement in raising substantial amounts of money and recruiting
thousands of new party members last year.

"The documents they asked for were not related to the Liberal party's or to
the Paul Martin campaign's organizational or fundraising activities."

The police investigation has rocked both the B.C. and federal Liberal
parties due to the high political profile and significant clout held by
several individuals identified in media reports.

The probe has also been shrouded in mystery and rumour-mongering because
police have revealed few details to explain why an investigation into the
drug trade and organized crime suddenly has political connections.

Marissen, who said previously that he was told by police he was the
"innocent recipient" of documents of interest, is the husband of B.C.
deputy premier Christy Clark.

Police executed search warrants at the B.C. legislature offices of Dave
Basi, ministerial assistant to Finance Minister Gary Collins, and Bob Virk,
ministerial assistant to Transportation Minister Judith Reid.

Basi has been a prominent campaign organizer in the Indo-Canadian community
for both the B.C. and federal Liberal parties and helped Martin during the
2003 leadership campaign.

Warrants were also executed at the Vancouver offices of lobbyist Erik
Bornman, communications director of the federal party's B.C. wing, and
Bruce Clark, Christy Clark's brother and Martin's top fundraiser on the
West Coast.

Marissen said there was "no suggestion whatsover" by police, made either
directly or indirectly, to suggest that police were interested in the
recent campaign to install Martin as the new Liberal leader.

Liberal party members have pointed out that all successful leadership
campaigns necessarily involved the raising of large amounts of cash that
would never be reported to Elections Canada or to federal ethics counsellor
Howard Wilson.

The Liberal party prohibits the bulk purchase of party memberships, a rule
one Liberal described as puritan and naive.

As a result, organizers who recruit large numbers of potential members --
say, from a church organization or an ethnic group -- frequently must raise
the money secretly and pay for each membership in cash.

The money traditionally comes from wealthy "benefactors" anxious to support
a candidate, curry favour, or enhance their own status.

University of Victoria political scientist Norman Ruff says rules
surrounding party financing in Canada have been full of holes so large "you
could literally drive a truckload of money" through them.

CHRONOLOGY OF RAIDS AT LEGISLATURE

- - Sun., Dec. 28: RCMP and Victoria police execute nine search warrants at
seven businesses or homes in Victoria and the Lower Mainland, including the
legislature offices of two ministerial assistants.

- - Mon., Dec. 29: Police and government officials reveal little about the
raids, but RCMP say they came about after a 20-month investigation with
links to organized crime, illegal drugs, police corruption and commercial
crime. One ministerial assistant is fired, the other is suspended. Media
reports say some of those being investigated have links to the provincial
and federal Liberals.

- - Tues., Dec. 30: Prime Minister Paul Martin says he won't suspend
high-ranking people on his B.C. organizing team with links to the raids. In
telephone interviews Monday, no one from the province will speak further
about the scandal.

- - Wed., Dec. 31: As pressure mounts, Finance Minister Gary Collins returns
early from his Hawaii vacation to assure British Columbians that the police
investigation and the documents seized from the legislature won't derail
government business.

- - Thurs., Jan. 1: The confirmed list of people whose offices were either
searched or were contacted by police include the two ministerial
assistants, a Victoria lobbying firm, two people on the executive of the
B.C. chapter of the federal Liberals, and one of Martin's closest allies in
B.C.

- - Fri., Jan. 2: Media outlets go to court to ask a judge to unseal the
search warrants. The judge adjourns the hearing until Jan. 14, to give the
Crown and police more time to figure how they can look at the documents
seized from the legislature -- which may be protected by cabinet privilege.