CSIS report on Liberal nomination race recalled after meeting with PM's top security adviser

The head of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) issued a burn notice for an intelligence assessment about possible foreign interference in a Toronto Liberal nomination race, according to a document tabled in the public inquiry into foreign interference.

The commission's lawyers wrote that CSIS director David Vigneault told them that he «has no recollection» why the document was recalled, but was confident the only reason why he would've agreed to do so would be «because there was an issue with it; he had never and would never recall a document because it was too sensitive.»

Documents tabled during the inquiry say the top secret intelligence document noted irregularities with the federal Liberal Party nomination of Han Dong in the Toronto riding of Don Valley North.

It was prepared in October 2019 and disseminated to senior government officials, including Canada's national security and intelligence advisor (NSIA), who is tasked with advising the prime minister on national security issues.

Documents filed in the inquiry say an internal CSIS email shows Vigneault asked for the document to be recalled after speaking with the NSIA.

Vigneault repeatedly told the commission on Thursday he could not recall why that decision was made, but insisted that throughout his career, he has never recalled anything due to external pressure.

The commission has not heard what was wrong with the report. The commission is tasked with examining what effect, if any, foreign states had on influencing the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.

Dong, who won his seat in Don Valley North in the 2019 election and again in 2021, quit the Liberal caucus last year following a report from Global News, which alleged he had advised a senior Chinese