Podcasters cited for criminal contempt in AHS harassment case

An Alberta Court of King's Bench justice has cited podcasters David Wallace and James DiFiore for criminal contempt of court for harassing former AHS CEO Athana Mentzelopoulos through a series of podcasts released last year.

Justice Michael Lema found the two engaged in a deliberate campaign to vilify Mentzelopoulos in order to discourage her from pursuing a wrongful-dismissal case against the provincial government and AHS.

"This [is] not 'journalism,' or 'opinion,' or 'commentary on matters of public interest," Lema wrote in his ruling released Friday. "On the evidence to date, it is baseless humiliation and demonization of a litigant in this court for no apparent purpose other than sapping her will to continue with her case."

Wallace hosted The Political Dark Arts podcast, and DiFiore hosted Blackballed with James DiFiore. In his decision, Lema detailed statements Wallace made claiming he had been retained by people to "take down" Mentzelopoulos or anyone associated with her lawsuit.

Mentzelopoulos sued AHS and then-health minister Adriana LaGrange early last year, alleging she was fired for investigating AHS contracting and procurement deals too aggressively. The court granted a restraining order prohibiting Wallace and DiFiore from making intimidating or harassing comments toward her. The judge also directed them to remove podcasts mentioning her that remain online.

Lema has asked the lawyers for both parties to agree on next steps and submit their positions on the contempt issue by June 3. Former AHS board member Sandy Edmonstone, who became a target of the podcasters after it was revealed he could be called as a witness, had sought the material seized from their homes under an Anton Piller order.