It could be a romance novel or a movie thriller…
…a high-ranking politician foolishly sharing classified documents with some smooth-talking floozy, who then may have passed them on to the bad guys…
Well not quite. The Canadian news reported about the resignation of the foreign minister, Maxime Bernier (right in photo). He was forced to resign for a security breach when he left classified documents about a NATO summit at the home of Ms. Julie Couillard (left in photo) whose links to the Hells Angels became public. Ms. Couillard came in to the Canadian public eye (literally with cleavage on full display!) last August when Bernier brought her to his swearing in ceremony. The damage inflicted by this woman spread even further into the government this month, after a second senior official (Public Works Minister Michael Fortier), was forced to quit after it emerged that he to dated Ms. Couillard last year, at which time he discussed a federal real estate project in Quebec City with her.
The back story goes something like…Ms. Couillard lived with Gilles Giguere, a well-known Montreal crime figure for three years beginning in 1993 and who had ties to Maurice (“Mom”) Boucher, the now-jailed leader of the Hells Angels in Quebec. Giguere was about to face trial on drug and weapons charges when he was shot to death in 1996 – supposedly after he decided to become a police informer.
Stay in tight formation because the plot thickens…then Ms. Couillard married Stéphane Sirois, who admitted to being an enforcer for a Hells Angels-affiliated biker club (The Rockers). He also turned informant and testified against several of his former biker colleagues in a 2002 trial. Mr. Sirois told the court that Ms. Couillard was suspected of being friendly with the police and “someone” ordered an end to the relationship; meaning ordered her demise sooner than by “natural causes”. Obviously that marriage ended in divorce.
This is really colorful stuff, no doubt. But what’s it got to do Ms. Couillard? Nothing. She has no criminal record and divorced her biker spouse nine years ago. Ms. Couillard certainly was involved in a number of questionable things and might even be labeled a “Black Widow Women“. But, the press has made claims that the resignations are because of relationships and past ties to members of the Hell’s Angels. And just like other situations where claims about the Hells Angels being involved in something turns out to be false, this Ottawa mess looks like a bunch of opportunistic politicians sensationalizing and excitable journalists.
UPDATE: April 29, 2009 – Ms Couillard’s dress is auctioned for over $1000.
Picture courtesy of (The National Canadian Press)
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