Prime minister maintains former chief of staff acted alone in Duffy scandal

CALGARY – Prime Minister Stephen Harper is sticking to his story in the Senate expense scandal, maintaining his former chief of staff acted alone in paying Mike Duffy’s invalid claims.

Harper says Nigel Wright will be held accountable for his decision to give Duffy $90,000 out of his own pocket to reimburse the Senate.

Newly released court documents contradict Harper’s version of the events surrounding Wright’s payment.

RCMP say in one of the documents that Wright recalls telling three other senior employees in the Prime Minister’s Office about paying Duffy the money for dubious housing expenses.

Harper told the House of Commons last month that Wright didn’t tell him or members of his office about paying Duffy’s expense claims.

On Saturday, Harper told a news conference in Calgary that he answered questions in the Commons to the best of his knowledge.

He says the court documents don’t contradict his previous statements and make it clear it was Wright’s decision to make the payment.

Harper says he only learned of the payment in mid-May and immediately went public with it.