Sajjan military assistant had inappropriate relationship while with Vancouver police
An army reservist who was ordered suspended from the Vancouver Police Department for having an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate has been working as a military assistant to Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan.
Sajjan's office says the military was responsible for hiring Maj. Greg McCullough, and that neither the minister nor his staff knew about the complaint or disciplinary action taken against him while he was a sergeant in the Vancouver police.
"Neither the minister nor staff were aware of the complaints to the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner or the disciplinary actions taken by the Vancouver Police Department," spokesman Daniel Minden said in a statement.
"We expect all members of the Canadian Armed Forces to uphold the highest standards of professional conduct. The hiring process for military assistants is done by the Canadian Armed Forces. We are looking into this matter further."
Revelations about McCullough's hiring come as Sajjan faces calls from the opposition to resign over his handling of sexual misconduct allegations involving the top brass, and concerns about an "Old Boys network" that protects senior officers from repercussions.
McCullough is a senior member of the same army reserve unit that Sajjan commanded before entering politics, the British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) and both served on the Vancouver Police Department.
Asked about the relationship between the two, Minden said: "The minister did not work together with Maj. McCullough at the Vancouver Police Department. They had met each other while serving as reservists in the British Columbia Regiment."
Minden referred questions about when McCullough was hired, why the position was created and the process followed to the Department of National Defence.
Sajjan currently has six military assistants, Defence Department spokesman Daniel Le Bouthillier said in an email.
All are employees of the military and not political staff, but work closely with the minister's office to provide a wide variety of support.
"This support includes, for instance, the facilitation of information flow between the CAF and the (defence minister), the provision of logistical support for travel and communications, the scheduling of military briefings and overall liaison services," he said.
McCullough was hired in March 2020 on a two-year contract "to support (Sajjan) while he is in his home riding," Le Bouthillier added. "The hiring was done as a Reserve Employment Opportunity, which is an advertised hiring process open to eligible members of the Reserve Force across Canada."
Le Bouthillier did not say who asked for the position to be created, the military or the minister's office.
Asked how often military assistants are hired outside Ottawa, Le Bouthillier said: "We have no formal record of such a situation."
Reached by telephone on Wednesday, McCullough told The Canadian Press that he works for the military in his current position and not for Sajjan. He also said the minister was not involved in hiring him.
"Minister Sajjan had nothing to do with my hiring process," he said.
"He required a military assistant on the West Coast because of the amount of time that he spends here, and that's it. I didn't speak with Minister Sajjan about this process, and I serve the Canadian Armed Forces."
McCullough repeated the same answer when asked about his relationship with Sajjan.
Media reports last year say McCullough was given a 15-day suspension in 2018 following an external investigation that found he failed to disclose a relationship with Const. Nicole Chan, and entered into the relationship despite knowing she was in a vulnerable state.
The 2018-19 OPCC annual report does not name McCullough, but did call for a five-day suspension for a police officer who "was in a personal, intimate relationship with a police officer who was under his direct supervision" and "failed to disclose this relationship with his supervisor."
The OPCC also called for 10-day suspension for the same officer for having "entered into the relationship with another police officer with the knowledge that the police officer was in a vulnerable state, mentally and emotionally."
The commission said the suspensions could be served concurrently.
It went on to note the first officer had since retired and "co-operated fully in the investigation and participated in all relevant processes. The police officer sought professional help in understanding his actions and wrote an apology to the other police officer."
McCullough retired from the Vancouver police in 2018, according to media reports.
Chan, who also had a relationship with another superior officer who was later fired from the Vancouver police, took her own life in January 2019.
The Vancouver Police Department did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication Wednesday.
McCullough said by text message that he disputed some of the previous media reporting surrounding what happened, though he did not provide specifics, and added: "I do not dispute the (OPCC's) finding, it is a matter of record."
"I was a proud member of the VPD and continue to serve this country in the military."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 23, 2021.
IN DEPTH
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Trudeau, key election players to testify at foreign interference hearings. What you need to know
The public hearings portion of the federal inquiry into foreign interference in Canadian elections and democratic institutions are picking back up this week. Here's what you need to know.
Who is supporting, opposing new online harms bill?
Now that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's sweeping online harms legislation is before Parliament, allowing key stakeholders, major platforms, and Canadians with direct personal experience with abuse to dig in and see what's being proposed, reaction is streaming in. CTVNews.ca has rounded up reaction, and here's how Bill C-63 is going over.
As Poilievre sides with Smith on trans restrictions, former Conservative candidate says he's 'playing with fire'
Siding with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her proposed restrictions on transgender youth, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre confirmed Wednesday that he is against trans and non-binary minors using puberty blockers.
TREND LINE What Nanos' tracking tells us about Canadians' mood, party preference heading into 2024
Heading into a new year, Canadians aren't feeling overly optimistic about the direction the country is heading, with the number of voters indicating negative views about the federal government's performance at the highest in a decade, national tracking from Nanos Research shows.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
B.C.'s short-term rental regulations include $10K daily penalties for Airbnb, other platforms
Short-term rental platforms that violate B.C.'s pending regulations can face administrative penalties of up to $10,000 per day, officials announced Thursday.
Local Spotlight
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Molly on a mission: N.S. student collecting books about women in sport for school library
Molly Knight, a grade four student in Nova Scotia, noticed her school library did not have many books on female athletes, so she started her own book drive in hopes of changing that.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Marmot in the city: New resident of North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale a 'rock star rodent'
When Les Robertson was walking home from the gym in North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale neighbourhood three weeks ago, he did a double take. Standing near a burrow it had dug in a vacant lot near East 1st Street and St. Georges Avenue was a yellow-bellied marmot.
Relocated seal returns to Greater Victoria after 'astonishing' 204-kilometre trek
A moulting seal who was relocated after drawing daily crowds of onlookers in Greater Victoria has made a surprise return, after what officials described as an 'astonishing' six-day journey.
Ottawa barber shop steps away from Parliament Hill marks 100 years in business
Just steps from Parliament Hill is a barber shop that for the last 100 years has catered to everyone from prime ministers to tourists.
'It was a special game': Edmonton pinball player celebrates high score and shout out from game designer
A high score on a Foo Fighters pinball machine has Edmonton player Dave Formenti on a high.
'How much time do we have?': 'Contamination' in Prairie groundwater identified
A compound used to treat sour gas that's been linked to fertility issues in cattle has been found throughout groundwater in the Prairies, according to a new study.
'Why not do it together?': Lifelong friends take part in 'brosectomy' in Vancouver
While many people choose to keep their medical appointments private, four longtime friends decided to undergo vasectomies as a group in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.