THE North Vancouver woman named as the subject of hush-money plot in emails related to provincial ethnic outreach debacle says she has been made an unwilling victim in the scandal.
Sepideh Sarrafpour, a former B.C. Liberal caucus employee and community volunteer on the North Shore, said she has been alienated by friends, unable to find work and her reputation has been damaged since she quit her job in September last year.
Her resignation after working for the Liberals to win support in various ethnic communities scrambled party organizers to try to win her back into the fold.
Have (former MLA) Harry Bloy meet with her and explain how doing anything would damage the Premier and the party. Have him say how we will try to find her work and get her back involved, reads the email written by former Liberal communications manager Brian Bonney and revealed this week by the B.C. NDP.
If need be, offer her x dollars per month to do non public work up to election (developing her database of potential supporters.)
Sarrafpour confirmed she was offered a job by former MLA Harry Bloy after she resigned as the B.C. Liberal caucus¹s ethnic community liaison in September 2012.
Right away, even before the minister or the premier contacted me or my boss in the caucus contacted me to find out what¹s going on, Harry Bloy contacted me and said he wants to meet me. He had a meeting with me in downtown Vancouver in the Hyatt Hotel in the lobby, she said. He said there is a
job happening if I want to stay in touch and still work for Brian Bonney and Harry Bloy. The conversation was not just about that but I prefer not to say more.
But Sarrafpour stresses she did nothing wrong either in her work for the Liberals or afterwards.
I stand for what is right, even if I have to stand alone and I¹m not going to sell my soul, she said.
Sarrafpour wouldnt say what information the Liberal insiders were worried about or exactly why she resigned, but she told the North Shore News at least part of the reason she left the job was because of the fallout from an event she helped organize on the North Shore.
In June 2012, then-minister of state for multiculturalism John Yap announced the creation of a $750,000 multiculturalism grant available to aborignal and ethnic non-profit groups and community-based organizations. Sarrafpour was put in
charge of inviting members of 180 different cultural groups to an event at the Holiday Inn in Seymour to promote the grant on June 30.
But when groups who applied for the grants never heard back from the province, they came to Sarrafpour looking for answers.
They were calling me non-stop saying Sepideh, we did support you. We did come out because of you but there is no grant. What happened to the money? and I had no answer for them, she said.
Sarrafpour said she hasnt decided whether shell reveal other reasons she quit her caucus job. It all depends on my lawyers.
Sarrafpour said she is isnt sure whats going to happen next, but she blames Liberal insiders for ruining her reputation with community leaders after she resigned.
they defamed my character. They destroyed my reputation. They said to community leaders that I am under investigation. Basically, they ruined my life, Sarrafpour said.
After the ethnic outreach scandal went public in March, Premier Christy Clark apologized for the leaked plan, Yap resigned from cabinet and several political staffers including Bonney resigned.
Particularly stinging for Sarrafpour is that she supported Clark from the beginning.
I was involved in the leadership campaign. I did a great job for the premier, she said. How can they talk behind my back or make these plans behind my back, just because I resigned? she asked.
West Vancouver-Capilano MLA Ralph Sultan, who was handed Yaps portfolio, said he was not aware of what came of the grant program.
Search me. I was minister for about 10 days and in that time, nothing came across my desk that I can recall, he said.
As for the alleged offer from Bloy and Bonney, it was all hearsay, said Sultan.
Lets face it, Brian Bonney and Harry Bloy and whomever have all been thoroughly discredited and I wouldnt attach a great deal to what any of them say, including the lady in question, he said.
The matter isnt being discussed at a caucus level outside the legislature, other than speculation that this is all an NDP attempt to regain lost ground, said Sultan.
B.C. Liberal spokesman Ben James said the party is only learning of Sarrafpours allegations through the media.
I dont quite get where shes coming from on that but we dont have any comment on that so far. The problem is, the people who allegedly made this offer are no longer around so it is difficult to find out about that, he said.
Yap could not be reached for comment.
