Our story begins in 2020 when I, Darrin Thompson, co-founder of the Alberta Accountability Alliance, was the victim of what we believe to be a targeted investigation by Elections Alberta, which destroyed my reputation and business, from which I still haven’t been able to recover.
Unfortunately, because of my now tarnished reputation and the unprecedented circumstances, my claims of being targeted have been brushed off.
I have a full audio file of the interview where the investigator, a former CPS member, plays good cop and bad cop; however, I lacked other evidence until last month.
When planning this, I came across the following that I believe is direct evidence of the targeted investigation.
The original letter by then Chief Electoral Officer/Elections Commissioner Glen Resler giving Investigator Dave Jennings representative authorization was dated January 6, 2020, just days after I had sent a letter to then Lt. Gov. of AB Lois Mitchell calling on them to investigate the UCP government and the firing of Elections Commissioner Lorne Gibson.
The interesting part is all communications that I was involved in, including the interview that I have the audio from, were presented to me as the investigation was started on September 1st, 2021, based on a June 30, 2020, email complaint that our website, ballergear.ca, may have been selling shirts and donating proceeds to the New Democratic Party; however, in the interview, Investigator Jennings admitted it was actually an Elections Alberta IT department member who flagged a social media post for an alleged donation to the AB NDP.
Jennings also admitted during our initial interview in September of 2021 that it was Chief Electoral Officer and Election Commissioner Glen Resler himself who called for the investigation.
The Jason Kenney UCP government’s decision (under the guise of cost cutting) shows Resler holding both CEO and EC positions and then allegedly being directly connected to the investigation team, including the contracted investigators.
The Elections AB website claims to provide effective non-partisan services.
https://www.elections.ab.ca/about-elections-alberta/vision-mission-mandate/
Here is the current organizational chart and the previous one created when Resler took over.
With Resler holding both positions, the Elections Act was deferred back to the Public Service Act https://www.qp.alberta.ca/documents/Acts/p42.pdf meaning their accountability is strictly up to the Public Service Commission and the then-Premier Jason Kenney’s personal appointee Tim Grant who reported directly to then-Alberta Treasury Board President and Minister of Finance Travis Toews
While under disclosed investigation,
(Sept 18, 2021, until Nov 19, 2021)
I was unable to make any social media posts or sell any of the then-popular anti-UCP (Fuck Kenney) merchandise and apparel.
On November 19, 2021, I received a letter from CEO Glen Resler providing their decision on the case.
In the interim I had become a registered political third-party advertiser with Elections Alberta on November 10, 2021; however, it was not explained or offered to me at the time to also register as an electoral third-party advertiser.
On January 24, 2022, we were informed that we would be prohibited from advertising during the by-election, as we weren’t registered as an electoral third-party advertiser.
Finally, on March 18, 2022, we received an email stating Bill 81, Election Statutes Amendment Act, 2021, had been proclaimed and would take effect on March 31, 2022.
This bill also made the previous Elections Act obsolete, removing the requirements of having a separate Chief Electoral Officer and Elections Commissioner to defer to the Public Service Act.
Effectively removing any sort of alleged direct connection to the UCP government and Elections Alberta, at least publicly.
Bill 81 Election-Act-Amendments-Bill-81.pdf
They say controversy creates cash, which is true. However, what we’ve learned is that controversy needs to come from those who are connected or with privilege.
So what does this mean? These days we watch as those from a place of privilege, such as Nate and The Breakdown and
Athana Mentzelopoulos are shared, supported, and platformed as whistleblowers that need to be saved.
However, the same can’t be said of myself; while others sat back and observed and declined to join me in bringing people together while refusing to take direct action.
I risked it all to take action in uncovering UCP corruption and stand up for social justice and human rights since 2019.
I and my family continue to struggle financially, mentally, emotionally, and physically, with our continued calls and pleas for assistance and support having been ignored or gone unanswered for the last half a decade.
I’ve done everything I can to keep the Alberta Accountability Alliance going, but I’m out of answers.
So again, with everything I have left, my plea to you is to please assist our family and the ABAlliance with a purchase from abpoli.ca
