New documents suggest Prime Minister Stephen Harper had little evidence of wrongdoing when he decided to turf Helena Guergis from cabinet and the Conservative caucus.

MP Helena Guergis was kicked out of cabinet after what Prime Minister Stephen Harper called 'serious allegations' about her came to light, but her name does not appear in the documents believed to have been the basis for Harper's decision. ((CBC)) Indeed, Guergis is mentioned only once — and then not even by name — in 36 pages of documents that private investigator Derrick Snowdy gave to the RCMP last spring.

The documents were tabled earlier this week with the Commons government operations committee, which continues to probe allegations of illegal lobbying by Guergis's husband, former Conservative MP Rahim Jaffer.

They include some references to Jaffer, including a notorious email in which controversial Toronto venture capitalist Nazim Gillani boasted that the former Alberta Tory MP "has opened up the Prime Minister's Office to us."

But the only mention of Guergis herself comes in a text message from Gillani, advising an associate that he was "with Rahim and his wife."

Harper cited "serious allegations" as the reason he decided last April to strip Guergis of her title as minister of state for the status of women and turn the matter over the RCMP. Her demotion from cabinet came one day after Snowdy met Conservative party lawyer Arthur Hamilton.

The Mounties have since refused to investigate the matter, as has the parliamentary ethics watchdog.

Nevertheless, Guergis is persona non grata with the Tories, who won't allow her to represent the party in the next election. She intends to run as an independent conservative.

Guergis has said neither Harper nor Hamilton ever specified the allegations against her, although she's said the prime minister referred to "criminal behaviour."

Snowdy himself told the parliamentary committee he had no evidence of wrongdoing by Guergis but was only concerned about the "optics" of her association with Gillani.