Serge LeClerc

Serge LeClerc (October 24, 1949 – April 16, 2011) was a pardoned Canadian ex-criminal, former politician and co-author of the autobiography Untwisted.[1][2]

Serge LeClerc
MLA for Saskatoon Northwest
In office
November 21, 2007 – August 31, 2010
Preceded byTed Merriman
Succeeded byGordon Wyant
Personal details
Born(1949-10-24)October 24, 1949
New Brunswick
DiedApril 16, 2011(2011-04-16) (aged 61)
Trenton, Ontario
Political partyIndependent
OccupationWriter, youth counsellor

He claimed to have been one of the most dangerous drug dealers and gang leaders in Canada. While serving in prison for one of his many convictions, LeClerc converted to Christianity, and began turning his life around. His career, aside from politics, consisted of speaking publicly to youth across Canada about his life and writing about his own experiences on such topics as drugs and violence.[3]

LeClerc graduated from the University of Waterloo with an honours degree in sociology with a minor in social work, and with a social work diploma. He was an associate member of all of the Crime Stoppers chapters in Saskatchewan, and the founder and past director of Teen Challenge Saskatchewan. LeClerc also spoke against the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, stating that it puts the rights of the individual (criminal) over the rights of society as a whole.[4] He was elected to represent the electoral district of Saskatoon Northwest in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan in the 2007 election, as a member of the Saskatchewan Party.

2010 criminal allegations

On April 16, 2010 the Saskatoon office of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation received a package containing audio recordings, allegedly of LeClerc, talking about marijuana and cocaine use, as well as sex with a gay man. The transcripts alleged many of the comments were made in the spring of 2009 when the legislature was in session. LeClerc removed himself from the Saskatchewan Party caucus on April 16, 2010, until he could "clear his name".[5][6] On April 20, 2010, he announced he would not run in the 2011 provincial election.[7] The Regina City Police began an investigation on April 21, 2010[8] but on May 19, 2010 they announced that no charges would be laid.

Members of the Legislative Assembly voted to turn the matter over to the conflict of interest commissioner.[9] LeClerc resigned his seat on September 1, 2010.[10] On November 23, 2010, Saskatchewan's conflict of interest commissioner, Ronald Barclay, issued a report concluding LeClerc had, in fact, engaged in unethical and unlawful conduct while in office.[11] Barclay rejected LeClerc's claim that the audio tapes had been forged, based on forensic analysis done by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. LeClerc had destroyed the hard drive from his government issue laptop computer, making any forensic analysis of its contents impossible.[12]

A separate report from Barclay averred that LeClerc's constituency assistants did work for his public speaking business during their constituency office hours and using government office equipment. However that did not constitute a conflict of interest.[11] LeClerc maintained that he was innocent of the criminal allegations made against him, and was the victim of a setup.[13] He continued his anti-drug activism.[14]

Illness and death

In October 2010, LeClerc announced he had been diagnosed with stomach and colon cancer, and was undergoing treatment in Ontario, where he died on April 16, 2011.[11][15][16]

References
  1. "Untwisted - Book". Retrieved 2010-04-20.
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-11-05. Retrieved 2013-11-05.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. "Serge LeClerc". American Entertainment International Speakers Bureau. Retrieved 2010-04-20.
  4. The Vancouver Sun. October 4, 1997. p. B4. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. Mandryk, Murray (April 20, 2010). "Getting to the truth vital in LeClerc matter". Regina Leader-Post. CanWest. Archived from the original on September 2, 2012. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
  6. "Drug, sex allegations a smear, Sask. MLA says". CBC News. April 16, 2010. Retrieved 2015-06-07.
  7. Wood, James (April 20, 2010). "Serge LeClerc won't run again". The StarPhoenix. CanWest. Retrieved 2010-04-20.
  8. "Regina Police Begin LeClerc Investigation". Rawlco Radio. April 21, 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
  9. "Police not laying charges in LeClerc case: government". CBC News. May 20, 2010. Retrieved 2015-06-07.
  10. Wood, James (September 1, 2010). "LeClerc resigns seat". The StarPhoenix. Postmedia Network. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
  11. Wood, James (November 23, 2010). "Ex-Saskatchewan Party MLA Serge LeClerc was 'unethical, unlawful': conflict of interest commissioner". The StarPhoenix. Postmedia Network. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
  12. "Sask. MLA drug admissions true: report". CBC News. November 23, 2010. Retrieved 2015-06-07.
  13. "Former Sask. MLA LeClerc denies drug use". CBC News. November 24, 2010. Retrieved 2015-06-07.
  14. Anderson, Scott. "LeClerc shares powerful message at community forum". The Southwest Booster. Transcontinental. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
  15. "Serge LeClerc, former Sask. MLA, dies". CBC News. April 16, 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-16.
  16. French, Janet (April 16, 2011). "Former Sask. MLA Serge LeClerc dies". The StarPhoenix. Postmedia Network. Archived from the original on May 1, 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
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