What information am I missing from the Brain Mulroney story?
As Prime Minister of Canada in 1993, he took $300 000 in cash (in a brown paper bag!) from a German businessman named Karlheinz Schrieber.
This accusation had been banging around for years and he denied ever meeting the man. Several years ago, he received a 2.1 million dollar court settlement from the Canadian Securties Agency for (mistakenly?) linking him to some dirty kickback scheme assocatied with Schrieber.
Now, as inquiries into these activities are beginning, what does he do? HE ADMITS HE TOOK THE MONEY!! His excuse? He says he was worried that his family wouldn’t be able to support itself after his career as a PM was over?
This appeared on page 4 (or 6) of the Toronto Star yesterday.
I must be missing something because this seems to be the story of the year if not the decade.
He had admitted he took the money years ago. And also, it’s Mulroney. He stopped being relevant years ago, honestly.
Does he now have to give back the 2.1 million?
Sorry, but this is very relevant. A Prime Minister taking cash from a businessman in a brown paper bag in a restaurant then suing the government for defaming him to the tune of 2 million dollars of taxpayers money. I’m really pissed and want to know why the papers didn’t this such a big deal.
Honestly, I think I must have my facts mixed up and I want to get the story straight.
Can you link to the article?
I did a search on “Brain Mulroney” in yesterday’s Star and got nothing.
It does sound fishy.
But whatever policies he pushed in in return for this money may still be in effect and need serious review no?
Did the story say what he did in return for the money?
Well, he had admitted he took the money back in 2003? 2004? He just denied that he took the money in exchange for favorable treatment in the Airbus deal, which was what the lawsuit was about.
It has been getting pretty consistent news coverage here, though I haven’t been reading the papers to see on what page. Of course, Québecers might make a bigger deal out of this than other newspapers, simply because we seem to love pointing out all the “bad” things even remotely related to Canada and the federal government.
My understanding is that there is a government committee happening, I also believe the RCMP is looking into it, but other than that, there really isn’t any news to speak of. Until someone comes up with something more to say than “He took money from a German businessman”, then it pretty much limits the newspaper articles to small updates, mostly about what the Harper government wants to do about it.
I believe he wasn’t PM when all this happened. He was still a member of parliament, though.
It’s been mentioned but is important enough to warrant saying it again: He was not the Prime Minister when this happened.
And it’s not a “page 4” story at all. It’s been on the front page of almost every major newspaper in this country off and on for quite some time now; I don’t know how you possibly could have missed it. TODAY’S development may have been on Page 4, but it’s had lots and lots of time on Page 1.
I spotted your problem: your search criteria. You need to omit the “Brain.” 
Yeah, I realized that. 
Note to self: remove Mulroney’s brain.
Because the Toronto Star isn’t a great paper? Nah, I got nothing.
And while Mulroney was no longer PM, having stepped down in favour of Kim Whatsername, he was still an MP when he accepted the envelope. It was about a week before the federal election that he wasn’t running in.
Great question and I’m not sure of the answer. Part of this legal mess is that Mr. Shrieber did not feel that he got adequate compensation for the 300 000 he paid. i have a feeling that this is the missing link to the story.
Thanks because his name is BRIAN. My fault.
Well, I suppose that is part of the problem. I am a regular CBC listener and I generally check the paper everyday (although it is the Toronto Star).
I’ll accept that he wasn’t PM at the time but I never heard that he admitted to accepting the money (please supply a source).
If he did, the Canadian people would want his head.
Still, from my perspective, there are lots of answered questions. What was the purpose of the money? Why did he get a 2 mill settlement?
Come on, I know the inquiries are just starting but if American TV can fill a year with OJ, why can’t the reporters in Canada stir the mud over the most hated PM in Canadian history?
I have trouble feeling bad for either Mr. Schreiber or Mr. Mulroney with regard to either man’s claims and excuses, since the entire thing stinks. If you’re going to roll around in shit don’t complain if your suit smells bad.
Here’s a hint for all you aspiring businesspeople out there; legitimate business is not conducted by handing out paper bags full of cash in hotel rooms.
allegedly, the $300, 000 came from a swiss account belonging to (or at least accessible to) karlheinz schrieber, into which large sums (several millions) were deposited as kickbacks from the airbus deal which was negotiated while muldoon was still p.m.
apparently, the kickback to the chin was to be delayed until he left the pmo, and could come up with some cover story as to the origin of the money, if not keep the payment unknown.
at least, this is the gist of the accusation, as i have gathered from the various reportings on the topic.
oh, and schrieber is currently trying (and so far failing) to fight his extradition from canada to germany on some sort of fraud charges that are linked to either the airbus thing, or the swiss account, or both. which is likely his primary motivation for shifting focus back (rightly or wrongly) on mulroney some 15 years after the cash in the bag.
I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to be snarky. I didn’t even realize until now you made the same typo I did.
Perhaps the reporters don’t want to be paying a lawsuit settlement as well. Mulroney received the 2 million as settlement of a defamation lawsuit. The liberals made public accusations of kick backs that they couldn’t substantiate. Why would a reporter do the same thing today?