The Alberta government hired a private law firm to defend Prime Minister Jason Kenney after various environmental groups threatened him with a libel lawsuit.
Paul Champ, a lawyer for the environmentalists, says he has been notified that the province has hired a lawyer.
The threat of the lawsuit was made in a letter to Kenney last month by eight groups alleging that the prime minister deliberately misrepresented the findings of a public inquiry into his activities and sources of funding.
The investigation, led by Steve Allan, found that the groups were exercising their freedom of expression.
But the groups say that in public statements, social media posts and government websites, Kenney falsely accused them of spreading misinformation about Alberta’s energy industry.
Champ says the move will delay filing a statement of claim against Kenney, as his attorneys take the time to review the facts and advise him.
The groups apologize, that the posts be removed, and that the websites be rewritten.
Allan’s investigation cost taxpayers $ 3.5 million.
© 2021 The Canadian Press
Reference-globalnews.ca