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.
10:15 a.m.
Liberal
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
If there wasn't coordination, why would there be a Google Drive owned by the COO of Vote Leave, holding BeLeave-related documents to which you had access on behalf of AIQ?
10:15 a.m.
Liberal
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
It seems to indicate there was coordination. Is that fair to say?
The question is for Mr. Massingham.
10:15 a.m.
Liberal
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
Okay. Have you read the Matrix law chambers' report to the digital and culture committee of the U.K.?
10:15 a.m.
Liberal
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
In that report, they note that on June 13, Grimes was in a position to make arrangements with yourselves to provide services. Does that sound right, June 13, 2016?
10:15 a.m.
Liberal
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
Okay.
On June 17, Grimes asked Vote Leave to transfer funds to AIQ, but he didn't know what amount was due to be transferred. Does that sound right?
10:15 a.m.
Liberal
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
Okay. On the same day that Grimes asked Vote Leave to transfer the funds, AIQ provided an insertion order for services that corresponded to the amount of the transfer to AIQ made by Vote Leave.
Here's what I don't understand. In the very short period of time—this is according to the law report—between the offer of donations by Vote Leave and the conclusion of an advertiser agreement and insert orders between Grimes and yourselves, there is a surprising similarity between the sums donated and the contractual obligations ostensibly already undertaken by BeLeave to AIQ. How is this not a coordinated campaign?
Mr. Massingham.
10:15 a.m.
Chief Operating Officer, AggregateIQ
I was trying to provide you with information with respect to the invoices and such.
10:15 a.m.
Liberal
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
No, no, no. I'm asking Mr. Massingham.
We're talking in some cases 22 minutes between the offer and asking for it to be paid by AIQ. Mr. Grimes is asking for 625,000 pounds to be spent. He doesn't actually know what he's going to receive yet, but he's directing you to do an ad spend and somehow gets the exact same amount from Vote Leave immediately thereafter, to coordinate the ad spend with you. How is this not a coordinated campaign between Vote Leave and BeLeave?
10:15 a.m.
Liberal
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
Who was your point of contact with Veterans for Britain?
10:15 a.m.
Liberal
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
The 100,000 pounds spent by Veterans for Britain was the same idea. You received 100,000 pounds from Vote Leave to spend on behalf of Veterans for Britain, but there was no coordination whatsoever?
10:15 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, AggregateIQ
Veterans for Britain told us they had received a donation and that they would like to put that money towards online advertising.
10:15 a.m.
Liberal
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
Did you not think it was strange? You received 625,000 pounds from Vote Leave to spend on behalf of BeLeave? Did you not think that was strange in the sense that if they had spent it on behalf of Vote Leave themselves, they would have gone over the limit? Did this not raise any flags for you at the time?
10:20 a.m.
Liberal
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
You're saying it was perfectly normal to receive a 625,000-pound donation from Vote Leave on behalf of BeLeave. That was just normal.
10:20 a.m.
Chief Operating Officer, AggregateIQ
When they asked us to do the work, we sent an invoice to BeLeave, and then they let us know that it was going to be paid by Vote Leave. It was odd to us that Vote Leave was making a donation to—
10:20 a.m.
Liberal
10:20 a.m.
Chief Operating Officer, AggregateIQ
That was all within a couple of days.
10:20 a.m.
Liberal
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
In a couple of days, you get 625,000 pounds directed to ad spend, told to you by Grimes, a 22-year-old kid who's never spent more than 10,000 or 20,000 pounds in the course of the campaign to date. Six days before the campaign end he says spend 625,000 pounds, and then a couple of days later he says, oh, it's going to be paid for by Vote Leave. That doesn't raise any red flags for you, Mr. Massingham?