Bullying or fair game? The man behind the scenes of OneBC’s relentless attacks

Politics might not always be exciting, but when a campaign manager is willing to tear down other candidates it tends to get people’s attention.

Anthony Russo is running Alexandra Wright’s campaign for OneBC in the Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream riding and he’s the one behind two viral moments this campaign. He posted about decades old charges against BC Conservative candidate Pavneet Singh and alleged that BC NDP candidate Loyal Wooldridge was being texted answers to questions at a public forum.

Russo used to work for the BC Conservatives. He worked on Kerry-Lynne Findlay’s party leadership campaign but left the party after she was ousted.

He alleges there was corruption and backroom deals within the party to get Findlay removed as party leader as well as more left leaning people infiltrating the party. Now, he works with OneBC and creates videos online talking about politics.

Even though Russo’s posts about Wooldridge and Singh have been inflammatory, he said his strategy hasn’t been ruthless.

“I don’t think that we’ve been doing whatever it takes to win,” he said. “I believe that when people play stupid games, they deserve to win stupid prizes.”

Singh said the case against him was dropped because BC Crown prosecutors realized they had the wrong suspect and Wooldridge denied that he was receiving answers via text at the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce forum.

Singh was charged in 2006 with sex crimes, but the case never made it to trial and the charges were stayed.

“I was celebrating Canada Day in a public park. An incident with which I had nothing to do with occurred, and I was mistakenly accused of being involved,” Singh previously said in a statement. “I was innocent. I was falsely accused, and when the Crown prosecutor realized that, the charges were stayed.”

Singh was absent from two public forums since OneBC’s post about the charges.

Russo and the OneBC campaign have continued bringing up the situation despite the lack of evidence.

“Can we claim that Pavneet Singh is guilty? Absolutely not. Can he claim, just based on his word, that we should believe that he’s innocent? Absolutely not. We do not have sufficient evidence here,” Russo told iNFOnews.ca.

Russo also posted a video that he was given by someone who sat near a staffer at the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce forum. The video shows someone texting Wooldridge in the middle of the event.

Wooldridge said he was just getting messages of encouragement during a tough forum, but Russo said he doesn’t believe him.

OneBC has a low chance of winning in Kelowna, according to 338 Canada, and Wright herself said she isn’t running to win.

Wooldridge said OneBC’s strategy has been underhanded.

“It’s bullying, and that’s the best way that I can describe it,” he said. “People want leaders that are going to make the cost of living better. And this is just an example of culture wars on the right that are trying to disrupt that.”