A former lawyer has filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that the personal data of nearly three million Alberta voters was breached and disseminated by a pro-separatist organization. The statement of claim, filed in the Court of King's Bench by Clint Docken on behalf of all individuals whose information appeared on Alberta's electors lists, names the Government of Alberta, Chief Electoral Officer Gordon McClure, the Centurion Project Ltd., its leader David Parker, and the Republican Party of Alberta as defendants.
Allegations of a Staggering Failure
The suit also includes as a John Doe defendant any persons, corporations, or political entities that accessed, disclosed, downloaded, or used the list. Steven Cooper, legal counsel for the proposed class action, stated in a Tuesday news release that the allegations, if proven, represent a “staggering failure” to protect Albertans. “Albertans deserve answers, accountability and consequences,” Cooper said.
The statement of claim alleges that the defendants collected, maintained, controlled, distributed, disclosed, accessed, used, and failed to safeguard highly sensitive information of Alberta voters. The lawsuit proposes a subclass for vulnerable persons, including victims of domestic violence, peace officers, justice system personnel, healthcare professionals, journalists, elected officials, and others who may be at greater risk due to the breach.
Background of the Breach
The legal action follows the Centurion Project's creation of a public website that displayed names, addresses, phone numbers, and other personal information of Alberta electors. The site was shut down in early May after Elections Alberta obtained a court injunction. Elections Alberta traced the database to an official voter list that had been provided to the pro-separatist Republican Party of Alberta.
Elections Alberta previously told Postmedia that Chief Electoral Officer Gordon McClure issued 23 cease and desist letters to individuals identified by the Centurion Project as recipients of the electors list, plus an additional 545 cease and desist letters to those the Centurion Project said accessed the list. Maia Hanrahan, a spokesperson for Elections Alberta, reiterated on Tuesday, “We want to reiterate that the unauthorized use of the List of Electors by the Centurion Group Ltd. is a matter we take very seriously.”
Government Response
The allegations have not been proven in court. Heather Jenkins, a spokesperson for the Alberta justice minister, told Postmedia, “The protection of Albertans’ personal information is taken very seriously by our government.” Jenkins confirmed that the government has received the statement of claim and is reviewing it, but declined further comment as the matter is before the courts.
