Evidence of meeting #101 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was work.
A video is available from Parliament.
9:45 a.m.
NDP
9:45 a.m.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Okay. Cambridge Analytica says it gave you that video, so Cambridge was working with you and SCL in Nigeria.
9:45 a.m.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
It says, to your credit, that you were very freaked out by this video. You called it the murder video, but you were directed by SCL, and SCL is involved in what they call international psyops.
Christopher Wylie explains why SCL is so interested in these international campaigns. He says you don't make a ton of money working on politics, particularly on a small island nation such as Trinidad and Tobago, but part of the business model is to capture a government and win an election. You get paid for that, but you don't make a ton of money. Where you make the money is then going into the government and making the deals.
Once again we have the three hombres, Cambridge, SCL, and AIQ working hand in hand in Nigeria. How were you coordinated with the other two? I'm asking Mr. Massingham, as president.
9:45 a.m.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
You were given the video. Cambridge said they gave you the video. You said it was SCL. It's the three of you. They didn't just give you a video that totally freaked you out and tell you—
9:50 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, AggregateIQ
Sorry, during that time we were unaware even that there was a Cambridge Analytica.
9:50 a.m.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Sorry, I want to hear this, Mr. Massingham. You weren't aware that Cambridge Analytica existed when Cambridge Analytica said they gave you the video? I just want to hear you follow that up for us a bit. You weren't aware that Cambridge Analytica existed.
9:50 a.m.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Christopher Wiley says that when you look at how Cambridge Analytica operates or how SCL operates, “they don't care whether...what they do is legal as long as it gets the job done.” He said that AIQ “inherited a lot of the company culture of total disregard for the law.”
Working in Nigeria, where Cambridge Analytica says they turned that murder video over to you, you said you weren't aware the Cambridge Analytica existed. Is that correct, Mr. Massingham?
9:50 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, AggregateIQ
I may have misspoken there. We worked for SCL during that election.
9:50 a.m.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
What was your relationship? Did you know Cambridge Analytica was in Nigeria trying to undermine that election?
9:50 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Zimmer
I have a question. I think a lot of us are concerned about third party influence. We have certain laws about spending limits in campaigns, and you've been accused. This is a quote from Mr. Wiley:
Aggregate IQ was just used as a proxy money laundering vehicle.
Was AggregateIQ a proxy money laundering vehicle for the pro-Brexit campaign, as Mr. Wiley said?
9:50 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Zimmer
Thank you.
For the next round we're going to start off with Ms. Vandenbeld for seven minutes.
9:50 a.m.
Liberal
Anita Vandenbeld Liberal Ottawa West—Nepean, ON
Thank you very much.
I'd like to go back to the relationship between you, Cambridge Analytica, and SCL. You're saying that you are a separate company, but you have done work with them. Was this a subcontract? What was the nature of the contract you had with them?