No, Han Dong Threatening To Sue Global News Doesn’t Debunk The Claims Against Him

In the aftermath of former Liberal MP Han Dong resigning from the Liberal Party caucus and sitting as an Independent MP, he has gone on the attack against Global News. Global News was the publisher of Sam Cooper’s story alleging Dong had advised China’s Consul General in Toronto that Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig should remain in Chinese prison until after the 2021 election. 

Before the election in 2021, the Conservative Party had been putting a lot of pressure on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to get the two Michaels out of prison and if they had been let go it could have been seen as a victory for the then Conservative leader Erin O’Toole.

Now let’s be clear, although the allegations against Han Dong are still just allegations after multiple leaks from CSIS alleging that he is a Liberal candidate that was helped by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) get nominated, Dong and others potentially attacking anti-CCP MPs in Toronto, and the two Michaels call, among other things, Dong will have to do better than a libel notice to clear his name.

Already Liberal MPs like Mark Gerretsen and the Green Party leader Elizabeth May are starting to claim that every allegation made against Dong is a “conspiracy theory” and that he will be “vindicated,” despite no counter-evidence coming up in support of Dong. 

First, one thing that should be mentioned is the sheer hypocrisy. When leaks from CSIS started coming out pointing to Han Dong potentially being involved with CCP actors in Canada, Trudeau, and the Liberal Party had no problem labeling Canadians as “racist” for having concerns about Dong. The Liberals clearly don’t care if people jump to conclusions since they so easily do the same, in a far more gross and divisive way. 

Second, the PMO has the ability to release the transcripts from the phone calls that Han Dong had with the Chinese Consul General in Toronto, so if Dong is innocent of the charge of wanting the two Michaels locked up longer, then the transcripts should be released. 

Han Dong’s lawsuit at this point appears to be nothing more than a smokescreen. Lawfare actions in order to try and bully journalists into not looking into his potential CCP connections.

Anyone willing to turn on a dime and start seeing Dong as the victim in this situation since he made his legal threats are either extremely foolish or dishonest. Again, Justin Trudeau could release information that would supposedly exonerate Dong but hasn’t, and Dong could actually answer the serious questions being put to him.

Frankly, threatening to sue Global News instead of releasing the Consul call transcript is an indictment of Han Dong as an MP. He avoids all transparency, plays the victim, and then sues when his back is against the wall.