Why Was Stephen Harper Never Charged in the Cadman Affair?

The body of evidence, "objective proof that a crime has been committed", couldn't be more apparent than in the case of Chuck Cadman.

He was the Reform-Alliance MP, who was approached by Tom Flanagan and Doug Finley with the bribe of a one million dollar life insurance policy, in exchange for his vote on the budget in 2005.

Attempting to bribe an elected official in a democratic country is a very serious offense, and in this case absolutely despicable, considering that the man was then dying of cancer.

When the news first broke, Stephen Harper was emphatic: In question period in the House of Commons on Thursday, Harper denied the claims of a possible bribe, saying "There is absolutely no truth to it."

Sounds a lot like "I did not have sex with that woman!"

Cadman biographer Tom Zytaruk has written about the matter in his forthcoming book, "Like a Rock: The Chuck Cadman Story." Cadman's widow, Dona, told Zytaruk the late MP told her he was angered by an offer from Tory officials, which she claimed included a reference to an insurance policy. Prime Minister Stephen Harper, then opposition leader, was asked by Zytaruk in 2005 whether he knew anything about the allegations that an offer had been made.

"I don't know the details. I know there were discussions," Harper replied in the taped conversation, two months after Cadman's death. Harper also said the discussions included talk of money.

Harper claimed that the tape that was being aired of him admitting to knowing of the bribe was doctored, but the FBI crime lab analyzed the tape and found it to be accurate and not tampered with.

In typical fashion he attacked the author of the book on Cadman, Tom Zytaruk, and sued the Liberals for demanding an RCMP investigation.

What did come out in the court case was that Harper himself gave the conspirators the go ahead.

Under Parliamentary rules, MPs found guilty of this kind of "influence pedaling" can lose their seat and be banned from running for five years. So what happened?

One more illegal act that got swept under the rug. This man really has no legitimacy and yet he's still here. What will it take?

The Cadman affairs speaks to Harper's contempt for Parliament, contempt for democracy and contempt for the Canadian people.

He just does what he wants and keeps getting away with it.