Key developments:
- Human resources officer Sonia Makhlouf testified that contracts for non-parliamentary work would not have been approved by the Senate
- Crown suggested Duffy had Senate pay for picture framing, enlargement
- Court adjourned early so that defence can review documents it said it hasn’t seen yet
NEW WITNESS
After hearing from former Senate law clerk Mark Audcent, a new witness was introduced in court Monday. Sonia Makhlouf, a human resources officer who has been dealing with senators and special Senate events since 2008, was questioned about the contracts Duffy issued to his friend Gerald Donohue.
RCMP investigators have alleged that Duffy issued $65,000 worth of contracts to Donohue for “little or no apparent work.” Those contracts were allegedly used to distribute payments to others, including Duffy’s personal trainer and a make-up artist.
Under questioning from the Crown, Makhlouf testified that she would not have approved any contracts for fitness training and makeup services because it’s not related to parliamentary work.
The contracts in question all said they were for editorial or consulting services.
Makhlouf said it is a senator’s responsibility to ensure the service he or she contracted out was actually provided.
PICTURE FRAMING?
At one point, Prosecutor Jason Neubauer suggested that Duffy used his Senate office budget to get a mounted photo of Barbara Bush for the former U.S. first lady. While questioning Makhlouf about service contracts, Neubauer asked whether “photographic services” in a service contract,
described as “Barbara Bush, 8x10, mounted” would be approved.
Makhlouf said she would seek more information about something like that.
Neubauer also suggested that Duffy had the Senate pay to frame pictures of some of his family members, as well as a photo described as “lady, man and child.”
Makhlouf said she had never seen such requests and they’re not the type of services approved by the Senate.
