Canada’s electronic spying agency obtained “significant” intelligence related to the “distribution of funds” by a foreign actor shortly after the 2021 elections, the interference inquiry heard April 4.
The Communications Security Establishment (CSE) is responsible for collecting signals intelligence (SIGINT) and generally cannot collect intelligence on Canadians or in Canada. Information presented to the inquiry suggests it was able to intercept or hack into foreign communications to retrieve information about elections interference.
A summary of a commission interview with CSE executives says “the most significant piece of intelligence CSE collected in relation to the 2019 and 2021 elections was obtained shortly after the 2021 election.”
Deputy chief of SIGINT Alia Tayyeb testified the “significance of the intelligence was apparent.” It was promptly shared with the Minister of National Defence, the RCMP, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), and the elections integrity task force, as well as intelligence partners from Australia, New Zealand, the U.S., and the U.K.
While the intelligence collected was foreign in nature, it contained the names of Canadians involved. Those are masked when CSE shares its products with outside agencies, for legal and privacy matters tied to its mandate. However other agencies can request the identities be revealed to pursue investigative avenues.
The interview summary says CSIS and the RCMP received the names of the Canadians mentioned in the report. CSE says it doesn’t know what actions the security agencies took in response, nor “whether the distribution of funds described in the intelligence report actually took place.”
Former CSE associate chief Dan Rogers, now serving as deputy National Security and Intelligence Advisor, testified at the inquiry on April 4. He said he couldn’t elaborate when asked about the matter.
“I understand. You’re not able to give us details about that intelligence, but it involved some allegation of potential distribution of funds?” asked commission counsel Erin Dann.
“That’s correct,” said Mr. Rogers.
An intercepted communication or hacked document can be perceived to be of higher quality than information reported by human sources, because the information is reported from a primary source instead of through a human intermediary.
In this case, the methods used to obtain the information and the nature of the information itself was not revealed. The name of the foreign actor was also not identified.
Allegations that the Chinese regime distributed funds to a network of preferred candidates have surfaced in recent months.
“A large clandestine transfer of funds earmarked for the federal election from the PRC Consulate in Toronto was transferred to an elected provincial government official via a staff member of a 2019 federal candidate,” the PCO report reportedly stated.
The inquiry heard on April 4 from other officials with roles in countering foreign interference, including from Global Affairs Canada, the RCMP, and CSIS.
RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme told the inquiry his outfit had not conducted foreign interference investigations during the 2019 and 2021 elections, but some were opened after the 2021 contest. He did not reveal how many investigations were started or remain ongoing.
