VICTORIA — A researcher with the United Steelworkers of America has been charged over alleged threats against New Democrat MLA Jenny Kwan and her family that include tossing dog feces on the roof of her home.
Kimberly Burton Pollock, a B.C. researcher for the union who also writes political commentary articles, has been charged after incidents on Dec. 1, 2010 and April 1, 2011.
He is scheduled to make his first appearance in court on May 12.
The B.C. Criminal Justice Branch announced Monday that special prosecutor Gail Barnes approved charges of mischief and uttering threats against Pollock following an investigation by the Vancouver Police Department.
A statement from the branch said Pollock is accused of threatening death or bodily harm to Kwan, her spouse and their children, as well as mischief to property owned by Kwan and her husband.
A special prosecutor was appointed in mid-April to independently review the charge recommendation from police because Kwan is a sitting politician.
Kwan acknowledged the charges, but declined to elaborate Monday.
“With respect to the situation, as you know, the matter is now before the courts and we’ll see that process unfold and the outcome will be forthcoming, so at this point, I’m not going to comment at all.”
Const. Lindsey Houghton, spokesman for Vancouver Police, said police investigated two incidents.
“We first received the first complaint in relation to the threats back in early December... with respect to some comments made to members of Ms. Kwan’s family, uttering verbal threats to cause death or bodily harm to Ms. Kwan, and or her family members,” Houghton said.
“On April 1st he is alleged to have committed criminal mischief by throwing dog feces at Ms. Kwan’s residence.”
Houghton declined to comment on the alleged motive for the threats, saying that is best left to the court.
Kwan was at the centre of a vicious public political feud that resulted in former NDP leader Carole James announcing her resignation last December, saying she could not heal the divisions over her leadership and decided it was better if she quit.
James loyalist Adrian Dix was elected NDP leader last month.
Kwan was widely regarded as one of the leaders of the James revolt. She wrote a letter on Dec. 1 calling for a leadership convention to replace James.
Pollock has used his position as researcher for the Steelworkers union to write political commentary articles for the Internet-based news site The Tyee and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
He also wrote a handbook for union activists called, “What every worker needs to know about the capitalist system.”
The United Steelworkers of America, who are attending a Canadian Labour Congress convention in Vancouver, issued a statement of regret about the matter.
The verbal statement was made by the union’s communication’s chief on behalf of Steelworker’s Canadian president Ken Neumann and B.C. Steelworker’s rep Steve Hunt.
“I understand that the United Steelworkers, through our district director Steve Hunt, contacted Jenny Kwan to express the United Steelworkers’ regret for the incident immediately upon hearing about it,” said the statement read by Gallagher.
“I also am told that both the B.C. New Democratic Party and Jenny Kwan have acknowledged the United Steelworkers’ expression of regret and have indicated that they understand that the United Steelworkers had nothing to do with this incident.”