Cornwall Standard Freeholder
12 JUNE 2010
Posted By CLAUDE MCINTOSH
Gary Guzzo, the former judge (why anyone would walk away from this kind of job in the prime of life is mind boggling) and ex-MPP (career nondescript backbencher), is having trouble with math … again.
He might want to ask Santa for a calculator.
Guzzo, incorrectly described by some Ottawa media outlets as the “whistleblower” of an alleged pedophile clan, told the CTV Ottawa news hounds that the string of financial settlements with sexual assault victims in Cornwall and area would be around $100 million.
He said that on television as if he knew what he was talking about.
After all, he’s a lawyer and former judge, the latter puts him at the top of the credibility ladder.
The public has a slightly different take on lawyers and politicians, just as they have with journalists and used care sales people.
What Guzzo failed to explain was that he had no more knowledge of the settlement figure than the street guy with the “Help Me” sign and guitar at the corner of Dalhousie and York streets in the Byward Market.
He was just pulling a figure out of the air, one that would grab the attention of the television station’s film editors.
He was off by a tad … about $95 million.
The fact is the total settlement figure is around $3.5 million. Total.
The Ontario government has settled with 23 victims for $2.25 million, while the Diocese of Alexandria paid out $1.25 million. The government still has some cases pending, but the diocese has wrapped up its final case.
n the case of the diocese, contrary to reports, the victims are free to tell the world what they received.
There’s no muzzle imposed by the agreement.
But common sense dictates that a victim isn’t about to tell the world what he or she got, no more than ambulance chasers are going to proudly announce that they got almost as much as their clients in civil litigations of this kind.
The $3.5 million certainly is not pocket change, but not even remotely close to the Guzzo pronouncement.
This isn’t the first time Guzzo has displayed an inability to add and subtract.
In the thick of the Project Truth probe, he announced to the all-ears media that he had discovered that the diocese had secretly just paid out $250,000 to a victim.
Again, he said it as if he knew what he was talking about.
Again, the media ran with the story that was dumped in their laps.
Paul-Andre Durocher, the recently installed bishop, was surprised to hear and read this revelation.
He had no knowledge of this sort of payment and could find no record of it.
The lawyers didn’t know about it. The insurance company didn’t know about it. But Garry Guzzo said he knew about it.
So, the bishop telephone Guzzo and asked if he could meet with him at his Ottawa west office.
The bishop was received by a receptive and congenial Guzzo.
So Gary, inquired the bishop, who got the money and when was it paid out?
Er, don’t know, Guzzo told a surprised Bishop Durocher.
Turned out Guzzo had heard it third hand. So and so who heard it from so and so, and it was so and so who had told him.
It wasn’t true.
Just another piece of grist feed to the rampant rumour mill.
Guzzo never contacted his pals in the Ottawa media to set them straight.
Then there was Guzzo’s announcement that the OPP had destroyed evidence.
The impression was that the force had destroyed Project Truth evidence … tapes of prominent local men and Roman Catholic Church leaders taking part in orgies.
Turned out he was right about the OPP destroying tapes.
But they had no connection with the Project Truth investigation.
The adult sex tapes, purchased from a commercial concern in the U.S., were seized at a Summerstown area home along with several illegal weapons.
The tapes featured professional actors.
When the investigation was over and the owner didn’t want the tapes back, the OPP
destroyed them, after the owner signed a release form.
For whatever reason, the OPP were Guzzo’s main whipping boys.
During the Project Truth investigation, Guzzo made a slew of allegations that left anyone who listened to him with the impressive he had the goods to blow this thing wide open.
But when he got on the witness stand at the Cornwall Public Inquiry, he became a train wreck.
Turned out he had nothing. How can we forget those final
moments in a brilliant cross examination by David Sherriff- Scott, when the lawyer wondered why Guzzo made all the claims he had made over the years.
A sorry-looking Guzzo shrugged his shoulders and blurted, “Because nobody told me I was wrong.”
Good gawd, Gary, you’re a former judge.
To say Gary Guzzo left the hearing room that afternoon with his tail between his legs would be an understatement.
Pity that his all-ears media pals from the hot air capital of the nation weren’t there to report on it.
* * *
A New Dem-Liberal merger wouldn’t do anything for their chances in Stormont-Dundas- South Glengarry. In the last election, Super Guy’s total was still more than theirs (Liberals and NDP) combined. And there is little chance of Super losing much of that support.
Article ID# 2620144
Comments on this Article.
Now why in the world would you think ‘Super’ is a shoo-in ?
Do you think locals support Billion Dollar Boondoggle Summits and Canada’s Action Plan for Conservative ridings only?
Do you believe they approve of muzzled MPs, sabotaged Parliament, and the Fox News approach to government control of ‘the message’ ?
Did the majority love the way Guy ‘helped’ in the bridge conflict?
Not and no. Why should flags, Passport Clinics and a deluge of mail asking if we love him and his leader guarantee a shoo-in either?
Expect more, get more and we can all ‘Stand up for Canada’ together.
Post #1 By EMAD,
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and so the discrditing mill starts to rumble
Post #2 By dodger,
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EMAD likes to make sh*t up.
..
Coining phrases like, “Billion Dollar Boondoggle Summits” and “Canada’s Action Plan for Conservative ridings only”… doesn’t make his lies facts anymore than the weekly meanderings of John Milnes from Long Sault.
..
It’s just Liberal bullsh&t over and over again with different names attached.
Post #3 By rastis,
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claude, your a real work…
Post #4 By junglelord,
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Great article Claude… This idiot former judge deserves tar and feathers… He is well described as a “train wreck”. You would think that ethical newspaper people would do a better job than what has been done in this case “settlements”. Keep up the good work… Someone has to…
Post #5 By james t
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Point out any untruths, Rastis. I’m sure you don’t like names like ‘boondoggle’, etc.
Give us YOUR facts that support both such extreme expenditures to base supporters.
Be sure you line up behind CPC talking points. I’m a pensioner, jerk, not a party mouth.
Post #6 By EMAD,
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Claude
I love your statement “Again, the media ran with the story that was dumped in their laps” is that not a admission of incompetence by you the media.
Are you admitting that all you do is take what is told to you at face value and there is no such thing as credible or research journalism?
Not that we didn’t already know that. We now have Kevin Lajoie, who was once a journalist working for osprey and Claude has verified runs with what is dropped on his lap. He is now heading up a new entity in Cornwall. I guess there is not many qualifications in the Seaway City to find a position of some kind or another.
Yes I have experienced his journalistic wonders following a city meeting, some points were made and the extent of his research was to follow us down the hall.
Post #7 By itinerant,
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Almost sounds like this ex judge (guzzo]was forced, or paid to act so stupid for the betterment of all mankind.
Post #8 By luckyred,