'Whether we fall by ambition, blood or lust, Like diamonds, we are cut with our own dust.' - John Webster, The Duchess of MalfiSomeone asked me whether the continued coverage of the Dimitri Soudas/Eve Adams meltdown in this space means I harbour ambitions to write for Hello! magazine.
The future of Tory MP Eve Adams is hanging in the balance after Stephen Harper ordered the Conservative party to investigate new complaints over her conduct in a heated nomination battle over a Toronto-area riding.
In a scathing five-page letter of complaint, the president of the Oakville North-Burlington federal Conservative riding association urged Harper to look into what he says is MP Eve Adams's interference in the nomination contest, bullying of board members, and potential improper use of MP privileges and party resources.
Oakville North-Burlington Conservative riding president Mark Fedak and board members asked Harper to help the constituency association resolve a number of issues they have with Adams, who has been eyeing the Conservative nomination in the newly created riding for the 2015 federal election.
It's true there are more important things going on in the world. But few are as captivating and bleak as the Shakespearean tragedy that has already seen Mr. Soudas fired as executive director of the Conservative Party and now threatens to have Ms. Adams blocked as a potential candidate in the riding of Oakville North Burlington.
To recap - Mr. Soudas, the Prime Minister's former take-no-prisoners communications director, landed the top job in the party, with a generous annual stipend of around $300,000. The only stipulation was that he did not dabble in the nomination contest in Oakville, where his fiancé, Ms. Adams, had declared an interest in running.
She has transplanted herself from her current riding, Mississauga Brampton South, which is looking increasingly unwinnable for the Conservatives. While her constituents have been left without representation in Parliament, she has poured her considerable energies into presenting herself as the party's candidate in the new riding of Oakville North Burlington.
In breach of his contract, Mr. Soudas used his influence to push her candidacy - and was fired when it became clear he had abused his position. He explained he had risked everything for Ms. Adams because he is 'madly in love.'
The latest installment in the saga is a letter from Mark Fedak, the president of the Oakville North Burlington Conservative Association, to Stephen Harper, in which Mr. Fedak appealed for the Prime Minister to intervene.
In the letter, he accused Ms. Adams of blocking the riding association's election readiness efforts by interfering in its efforts to secure the services of a private sector supplier who produces demographic data on coloured maps.
He suggested that Ms. Adams had misused the Conservatives' Constituent Information Management Services database and may have abused MPs mailing privileges. 'The board has been shocked by the constant flow of mail by Eve Adams into the riding of Oakville North Burlington. We know that MPs have broad mailing privileges but given Election Canada's governing of our nomination process, we are greatly concerned,' he said.
Mr. Fedak saved his most lengthy criticism for his account of a board of directors meeting on March 19, which he said resulted in a 'bizarre situation.'
He said Ms. Adams arrived without prior notice or request. Mr. Fedak said he asked her to leave nine times but she refused and continued to 'hijack' the meeting, 'verbally abusing' four members of the board.
'For myself, she pointedly asked me how much money I donated to the party annually, and said that she would use her access to CIMS data to look that up for herself.'
Mark Fedak letter to PM about Eve Adams should just about sink her. Oakville EDA president has five complaints about her behaviour.- John Ivison (@IvisonJ) April 02, 2014
2/3 Fedak says Adams blocked election readiness plan; used CIMS inappropriately; created a 'bizarre' situation at a board meeting...- John Ivison (@IvisonJ) April 02, 2014
3/3 Fedak says she misused MP's mailing privileges; was instrumental in firing of Wally Butts, 'long-time and respected regional organizer.'- John Ivison (@IvisonJ) April 02, 2014
Conservative Party sources say Fedak letter to PM about Eve Adams is being treated seriously and investigated.- John Ivison (@IvisonJ) April 02, 2014
He said the riding association secretary, 'a dedicated Conservative supporter of many years,' is now considering resigning from the board because he feels intimidated and bullied.
Finally, Mr. Fedak said the party's firing of Wally Butts, the 'longtime and respected regional organizer' the morning after the board meeting had 'shocked and upset' him.
'I am not certain if Wally, in reporting my concerns to his boss Fred DeLorey, is the reason for his dismissal from the party but is seems more than coincidental,' he said.
The letter raises many questions for Ms. Adams. Unfortunately, she seems to have gone to ground and did not answer requests for comment. Perhaps she will be more forthcoming with the party, which is said to be taking the allegations seriously.
If they are found to have merit, it may be that Ms. Adams attempts to parachute herself into Oakville North Burlington will be blocked by the party, which has the power to veto potential candidates.
As Shakespeare and other Elizabethan/Jacobean dramatists like John Webster knew well, the public is gripped by tales of love, conceit and lust for power. National Post * Email: jivison@nationalpost.com | Twitter: IvisonJ Letter from Mark Fedak to Stephen Harper
In the story of the rise and apparent fall of Dimitri Soudas and Eve Adams all those themes are present in abundance. It looks like both have been cut by their own dust.
Post By http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2014/04/02/rise-and-fall-of-dimitri-soudas-and-eve-adams-as-captivating-and-bleak-as-a-shakespearean-tragedy/
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