Vance charged with obstruction of justice following military investigation
Former chief of defence staff Gen. Jonathan Vance has been charged with one count of obstruction of justice under the Criminal Code, allegedly for attempting to persuade a woman to make false statements about their past relationship.
The Canadian Armed Forces and the Department of National Defence issued a statement announcing the charge had been laid against Vance on July 15.
The military said that after the charge was laid by the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service (CFNIS) that: “considering the specifics of the case and in the interest of justice… the CFNIS decided to pursue the relevant criminal charge in the civilian justice system.â€
Specifically, Vance has been charged with one count of “Obstruct Justice, contrary to Section 139 of the Criminal Code.â€
Military police launched an investigation into Vance on Feb. 4, over allegations of misconduct, following his retirement. It was in the course of this investigation that the military said the obstruction is alleged to have occurred.
Court documents accessed by CTV News state that the charge relates to Vance allegedly attempting to “obstruct the course of justice in a judicial proceeding by repeatedly contacting Mrs. K.B. by phone and attempting to persuade her to make false statements about their past relationship" to the CFNIS.
“K.B.†appears to be in reference to Maj. Kellie Brennan, who is at the centre of the misconduct allegations against Vance. The documents indicate Vance’s alleged obstruction occurred between Feb. 1 and Feb. 3, 2021, the few days leading up to the CFNIS starting its investigation.
The CFNIS is the specialized unit within the military police system that focuses on “serious and sensitive matters.â€
In April, Brennan testified before MPs about the nature of her relationship with Vance, saying that Vance—who she had a sexual relationship with while he was her superior and during his time as chief of the defence staff— had
Brennan said that Vance fathered two children with her, and told her that he was “untouchable,†should she go to military authority. While Brennan said Vance never threatened her with “bodily harm,†she alleged that he did tell her there would be consequences should she speak out.
Vance has denied any wrongdoing and CTV News has not independently verified the allegations against him. The obstruction charge has yet to be tested or proven in court.
Since the allegations against Vance were first reported by Global News, multiple women have shared their stories of experiencing sexual misconduct in the military, forcing a reckoning over misconduct within the ranks.
Several high-profile officers—including Vance’s successor, Admiral Art McDonald— have also become subject to investigations into allegations of past inappropriate behaviour.
The specific allegations against McDonald, who temporarily stepped aside in February after the CFNIS struck its investigation, have not been publicly disclosed.
The testimony heard by the House of Commons Status of Women and National Defence Committees centred on how Vance and other senior leaders rose to the top of the chain of command, how difficult and complex the reporting process is for members who experience sexual misconduct, and what culture change and reforms to military oversight and accountability should look like.
The Liberal government has faced strong criticism for its handling of the Vance allegation upon hearing about it as early as March 2018, however an investigation into his behaviour following “rumours†of an inappropriate relationship began in 2015, when he was first appointed defence chief.
Both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan declined to comment Thursday, citing the “ongoing legal proceedings,†as Sajjan’s office put it.
In a statement, Conservative MP and defence critic James Bezan repeated his calls for Sajjan to resign over his handling of sexual misconduct in the military, saying that: “Accountability goes straight to the top.â€
“We’ve known for years that this is a problem and Mr. Vance's case is just the tip of the iceberg. The entire institution of the military needs to be reformed,†said NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh in a statement. “We stand with the women in the Canadian Armed Forces who continue to wait for a real culture change in the face of sexual misconduct and assault in the military.â€
Vance is scheduled to appear at the Ottawa Courthouse in relation to the charge on Sept. 17.
With files from CTV News’ Sarah Turnbull and Brooklyn Neustaeter
IN DEPTH
Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power.
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½
BREAKING Israeli military says it has carried out a 'targeted strike' in Beirut
The Israeli military said it carried out a 'targeted strike' in the Lebanese capital Beirut on Friday.
The province's public security minister said he was "shocked" Thursday amid reports that a body believed to be that of a 14-year-old boy was found this week near a Hells Angels hideout near Quebec City.
Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.
Cognitive decline reduced by MIND diet, especially for women and Black people, study finds
Following the MIND diet for 10 years produced a small but significant decrease in the risk of developing thinking, concentration and memory problems, a new study found.
An Ontario man says it is 'unfair' to pay a $1,500 insurance surcharge because his four-year-old SUV is at a higher risk of being stolen.
The Montreal couple from Mexico and their three children facing deportation have received a temporary residence permit.
Federal firearm buyback program has cost $67M, still not collecting guns after 4 years
The federal firearm buyback program has cost taxpayers nearly $67.2 million since it was announced in 2020, but it still hasn't collected a single gun.
Lawyers say former Harrods boss Al Fayed was a 'monster' who abused women and girls
Lawyers representing dozens of women who say they were raped and sexually abused by Mohamed Al Fayed, the former boss of the famous London department store Harrods, said the case was akin to the crimes of sex offenders Jimmy Savile, Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein.
NEW Health data collected from Indigenous Peoples in Canada has a dark history. One Indigenous company is turning that around
Software company Mustimuhw Information, which develops medical records systems built on a foundation of Indigenous traditions and values, is allowing health providers to capture data informed by cultural practices.
Local Spotlight
They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.
A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.
Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.
The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.
It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.
A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.
David Krumholtz, known for roles like Bernard the Elf in The Santa Clause and physicist Isidor Rabi in Oppenheimer, has spent the latter part of his summer filming horror flick Altar in Winnipeg. He says Winnipeg is the most movie-savvy town he's ever been in.
Edmontonians can count themselves lucky to ever see one tiger salamander, let alone the thousands one local woman says recently descended on her childhood home.