Journalist says he’s received threats following ‘false’ accusations that he’s a Russian agent

Veteran Ottawa journalist David Pugliese recently spoke out about the threats he and his family have received after being accused of being a Russian agent during a House of Commons committee meeting. Pugliese, who works for the Ottawa Citizen, vehemently refuted the accusations, calling them “preposterous.”

During the committee meeting, former immigration minister Chris Alexander claimed that Pugliese was recruited by Russia due to his role as a journalist. Alexander provided documents to support his claims, which he described as evidence of a serious threat to Canada’s national security. The documents, allegedly from the Archives of the State Security Committee in Kyiv, Ukraine, dated from 1984 to 1990, named Pugliese as “Stuart” and detailed efforts by the KGB to build a relationship with him. However, Pugliese stated that the documents were riddled with factual errors and falsehoods about his personal life.

Pugliese clarified that he was working for a U.S. military publication in the 1980s, covering topics that were unfavorable to the Soviet Union, such as NATO expansion and nuclear warfare strategies. He emphasized that he has no ties to Russia and could not understand why Alexander made such accusations against him.

The journalist highlighted that this was not the first time he had faced baseless accusations, having been previously labeled as a CIA agent and a Taliban sympathizer. Pugliese expressed frustration at being targeted in this manner, sarcastically remarking on the absurdity of being accused of espionage.

Despite the serious nature of the allegations, Pugliese acknowledged that parliamentary privilege protects statements made at committee meetings from being classified as libel. He also raised concerns about the lack of pushback from MPs during the session, with many admitting they had not thoroughly reviewed the documents presented by Alexander.

Brent Jolly, president of the Canadian Association of Journalists, stood in solidarity with Pugliese, denouncing Alexander’s claims as “dumbfounding and dangerous.” Jolly reiterated that Pugliese had done nothing wrong other than his job as a journalist.

The journalist’s testimony shed light on the challenges faced by members of the media in today’s political climate. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of upholding journalistic integrity and the need to protect journalists from unwarranted attacks.