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.
Holy crap! In reading her bio, she sounds like a Canadian Ann Coulter!
That’s who she aspires to be, but, sadly, she appears to be unstable.
O.K.
You know the rules.
Where are the pics?
I had never heard of her. Not sure what to make of all this. Anybody out there know if she is on the level or if she is unstable?
PEECTURES! VE VANT PEECTURES!
that pic is hot hot HOT!
LOL. Did you read the article?
As opposed to the other female pundits, who either prefer unflattering photos of themselves, or prefer not to promote themselves at all by hiding their photos?
As opposed to people who are satisfied with one or two nice pictures.
Back away from the eggnog, FRiend.
Absolutely. But I've seen hit jobs on people I know something about, which were nothing but half-truths and distortions from political enemies all dressed up as objective reporting. So I was requesting some insight from somebody who might know "the rest of the story" if there is one.
For instance, what are the particulars about the harassment claim she pleaded guilty to? Does it really fit the implied template of a disturbed serial stalker? Or does it more closely resemble the alleged victim harassing her legally after he got his feelings hurt in a political exchange where he was made to look the fool?
This really is the mother of all cover-ups. Take a look at Marsden’s response, on her website:
http://www.rachelmarsden.com/tonybackhurstemails.htm
I just looked at her web site. She has two photos that appear like regular fixtures, plus a couple of shots of her as a talking head on CNN.
I think she must be coming on to me. I hope she knows I'm married. </sarcasm>
Look FanFan, as far as I know she is as creepy as you keep implying. I just don't want to pass judgment without a little more info. As I said, I have seen distorted hit jobs before.
Will this be on “Red Eye”?
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