Eh! I wouldn't hit it.
Posted on 12/21/2007 2:16:20 PM PST by fanfan
A right-wing former Fox TV pundit is being investigated for criminal harassment after accusing an ex-boyfriend of leaking Canadian anti-terrorism secrets.
Rachel Marsden, prominent in the late 1990s for accusing a Simon Fraser University swimming coach for raping and stalking her, says OPP anti-terrorism Const. Tony Backhurst fed her top-secret papers.
"I don't know why he (gave me the documents)," she said yesterday in an email response to an interview request, "other than perhaps he was too cheap to buy me jewelry and figured state secrets would be a good substitute."
She denied harassing the officer.
"I live in NYC," she wrote. "If I was going to 'stalk' anyone from that kind of a massive distance, it sure wouldn't be that loser.
"Anyone who reads my blog or column knows it would be (French President) Nicolas Sarkozy!"
Backhurst's lawyer Andrew McKay said Marsden is harassing the officer through emails and inaccurate website postings.
"Her conduct is simply outrageous," he said.
Backhurst, who ran unsuccessfully in 2004 as the federal Tory candidate for Scarborough-Rouge River, acknowledges a brief love affair with Marsden two years ago – not one that continued until nearly three months ago, as Marsden maintains.
The officer has filed a complaint with South Simcoe Police asking the Crown "at a minimum, to lay a criminal harassment charge," the lawyer said.
Backhurst is currently on "personal leave to look after his family," McKay said. At no time was the officer suspended from his job and he expects to return to it soon.
The OPP's criminal investigations branch recently cleared the officer of any wrongdoing. A separate internal investigation is ongoing, his lawyer said.
Marsden, 32, styles herself as a right-wing political commentator and "Babe for Bush."
Her website rachelmarsden.com promises "Politics with an edge!" and includes numerous flattering photos of herself.
Until recently, her career seemed on the upswing. She relocated to New York from Vancouver this spring as a Toronto Sun columnist and Fox News Channel pundit.
But last month, the Sun dropped her after a two-year run – part of a routine change to ensure fresh voices, senior editor Lorrie Goldstein said yesterday.
And in June, Fox security guards escorted her from the channel's New York offices "for erratic behaviour," the New York Post reported at the time, and the Fox show Red Eye dropped her as a panelist. She appeared on CNN as recently as October.
Marsden denied the story and Fox did not respond yesterday to a request for comment.
Marsden grew up in Port Coquitlam, B.C., and was enrolled at Simon Fraser in 1995 when she accused swimming coach Liam Donnelly of sexual harassment over a 16-month period and date rape.
In 1997, prominent feminists took up her cause.
Donnelly was fired. Two months later, he was exonerated, paid compensation and rehired, and the university president resigned over mishandling the case.
In 1999, Marsden was warned she would be evicted from campus residence unless she agreed to stay away from Donnelly and SFU criminology professor Neil Boyd. Both complained she was stalking them, although no charges were laid.
In 2002, Marsden was charged with criminally harassing former Vancouver radio host Michael Morgan after being warned to stay away from him. In 2004, she pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a conditional discharge.
In 2005, she met Backhurst. She was visiting a Toronto police firearms range.
Three months ago, she posted his photo on her website as "Rachel's Jerk of the Day." She removed the photo within 24 hours, she has said, but Backhurst's lawyer said the posting has potentially endangered the officer.
"She has put a police officer at risk by identifying him, posting his picture (and risking his exposure) as an undercover operative for anti-terrorism. It's a huge issue," lawyer McKay said.
Thanks for the link. Can you give those of us who should be coding right now the bottom line?
Marsden’s response on her website. Reeks of a cover-up by the police for one of their own guys leaking some major intel.
http://www.rachelmarsden.com/tonybackhurstemails.htm
SHe dated a counter-terorism cop who leaked intel to her. 3 months ago, his own force put him under investigation. He’s now angry and filed a retaliatory complaint. She provided the leaked intelligence and documents to the National Post in this story here -
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=184518
Police cover-up, Marsden is the scapegoat. Pretty obvious to me.
lol drama
Count me in your camp. Based on what is out there, I’d want more info before I’d go out on a limb on this one.
Looks like UPI was able to sift through the bullcrap and get to the REAL story.
In 1997, prominent feminists took up her cause. “
This was a “hugh and series” case in Canada. The feminists and university administrators behaved similar to those at Duke regarding the LAX players “rape” charges.
It was manifestly obvious then that Marsden was a total whack job. Nothing seems to have changed. It’s amazing that she’s a right-wing commentator.
Never heard of her, but she sounds like a nut. I’m siding with the guy until given strong reason to the contrary.
If this was a ‘hit job’, but it’s not.
She has a history.
It doesn't seem to have anything that isn't posted above. It's the lady's history that gives me pause.
It's amazing that she has been able to pass herself off as one for so long.
;)
Sid Sodnagel sez:
“When a woman gets older, she gives men a pause.”
My “older woman” still takes my breath away...
If the email allegedly from the Canadian cop to her are for real, the Canadian cop has got real problems
LOL! Must have really been a bummer for his ego.
"Three months ago, she posted his photo on her website as "Rachel's Jerk of the Day." She removed the photo within 24 hours, she has said, but Backhurst's lawyer said the posting has potentially endangered the officer."
LOL! The boy made "Jerk of the Day". Since he can't handle it, make him "Clymer of the Month".
“and the Fox show Red Eye dropped her as a panelist.”
But that has nothing to do with this. She was kicked off of Red Eye because she was unable to come up with at least one childish sexual innuendo every 30 seconds, which is a requirement of the show.
I know the feeling....
I met my Bride when she was 20, that was over 35 yeas ago.
I still shut up when she walks into the room and consider myself as the luckiest guy on the planet. While I do joke allot and I am a well meaning and openly flirtatious guy, that “older woman” of mine... remains my one and only fantasy.
I still wonder when she’s going to wakeup and realize that I didn’t age as gracefully as she has, and discover that I am spending all of HER money. ;>)
Apparently, to the house organ of the Chretienista Liberals, the opportunity to roast even a faux conservative trumps its usual commitment to relentless gender bigotry.
The definitive background piece:
The strange allure of Ms. Marsden ~ KEVIN STEEL, The Western Standard, July 11, 2005 (pdf)
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