This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 24.69.167.172 (talk) at 21:05, 18 March 2006 (→Current whereabouts). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 21:05, 18 March 2006 by 24.69.167.172 (talk) (→Current whereabouts)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Erik Bornman (b. 1976) is a political consultant and articling student at the law firm McCarthy Tétrault in Toronto. He is a former President of the Young Liberals of Canada (British Columbia).
Young Liberals
As a former member of the Young Liberals in BC, Bornman's name surfaces frequently in relation to certain controversial events that occurred within the BC Federal Liberal wing from 1996-1999. In 1996, shortly after the Liberal Biennial Convention, approximately $30,000 worth of unpaid bills were received by the Party from an airline and hotel in connection with an event held involving 100 Young Liberals. Only one person was eventually charged with fraud in relation to this matter. And although Bornman held cheque signing authority over the Young Liberals' finances, he was not charged or disciplined by the Party.
According to a former member of the Young Liberals at UVIC, where Bornman first made his name:
"I have to say he always struck me as a conceited prick who was only interested in clawing his way to the top. (I'd have said that since I met him too, and not just now that he's part of a criminal investigation). He was involved with the Young Liberals at UVic while I was there, and one of his supporters actually paid for my Liberal membership one year so I'd go to a meeting and vote for the President of the Young Liberals of BC party. (I guess I was supposed to vote for him... I thought it was a little weird at the time that his supporter could buy me a political party membership... I wonder where the money really came from?"
Interestingly, it was against Federal Liberal Party policy at the time for someone to pay for someone else's membership.
Bornman earned his nickname "Spiderman" after he entered a locked federal Liberal Party office through the ceiling in order to obtain the BC membership list.
An advocate of the "University Model Parliament", in 1999 Bornman commented to Simon Fraser University's student newspaper:
" offers students the opportunity to gain a better understanding of their political affiliations." By interacting with students from their own and other parties, it allows them to gain a clearer picture of Canada's current political arena. He also said that the experience offers him a chance to "get (my) fix as a political junkie."
In 1999, Young Liberal President Bornman organized a federal Young Liberal convention in Victoria’s Traveller's Inn that turned into a drunken hotel-trashing. The party was sued for $10,000 in damages by owner John Asfar but settled out of court.
Surprisingly, in 2003 Bornman turned up as the registered lobbyist for John Asfar's efforts to locate a casino in a Victoria hotel. Controversy erupted in February when some phony letters supporting the plan were posted on the casino proponent's Web site.
But in an email to Bill Tielman of the Tyee, after he reported on Bornman’s lobbying record, Asfar claimed that Bornman never lobbied government on behalf of his company.
“Secondly, Eric Bowman has never lobbied for me or any of my related companies with Government! Not once!!! He was hired by our company to introduce us to a private casino operator in Wells, BC (The Jack O’ clubs Casino operation). ….,” Asfar wrote on March 18, 2004. “He prematurely and proactively registered my company and his company without our consent or any contractual agreement. He was forward marketing himself and anticipated presumptuously that our relationship would expand if he was successful in the introducing us to the casino owners.”
Political Consultant
Bornman was the registered provincial lobbyist for OmniTRAX, the US-based rail company that was bidding for the billion dollar BC Rail deal against eventual winner CN Rail and CP Rail, which dropped out of the bidding because of what it said was a "clear breach" of fairness in the process due to other bidders receiving confidential information.
RCMP Investigation into drug dealing, organized crime, and the BC rail deal
On December 28, 2003 police executed search warrants at the BC Legislature and the homes and offices of prominent Liberals in connection with an investigation into drug dealing, organized crime, and the BC Rail privatization deal. Several high ranking provincial and federal Liberal Party supporters were served. The principles include David Basi, ministerial assistant to Finance Minister Gary Collins, and Bob Virk, ministerial assistant to thentransportation minister Judith Reid.
Four other search warrants were also executed: at Basi's home; at Bornman's home office; at the Victoria office of Pilothouse Public Affairs, the firm owned by Bornman and former Province newspaper columnist Brian Kieran; and at the home office of Bruce Clark, another federal B.C. Liberal executive member and brother to deputy premier Christy Clark.
The search-warrant "information to obtain" or ITO released by police in September, 2004 claim that Bornman offered provincial ministerial aides Dave Basi and Bob Virk a benefit -- help in obtaining $100,000-plus jobs with the federal Liberal government -- in exchange for obtaining confidential information about the BC Rail deals.
Bornman was also alleged to have known that Basi and Virk had given him résumés with "flaws and fabrications" regarding their academic records but forwarded them to Mark Marissen, who sent them on to the prime minister's office unaware they were inaccurate.
Current whereabouts
Recently, Bornman was hired as an articling student at Canada's largest law firm, McCarthy Tétrault (Toronto).
It is also rumoured that he is back with the Federal Liberals in Ontario.