OTTAWA— Rahim Jaffer sought $100 million in federal government funds for a company that he and a Toronto business associate were hoping to take public in a $1 billion deal, the Star has learned.

The latest revelation came the same day that Jaffer, a former Conservative MP, endured a bruising session before a Commons committee that saw a withering cast-off by his one-time Tory colleagues and damning allegations from opposition MPs of influence peddling and drug possession.

After listening to Jaffer, the committee demanded information on attempts by his company Green Power Generation to obtain federal grants for several companies.

Jaffer’s business partner Patrick Glemaud initially refused to reveal the companies behind the three proposals he submitted to Conservative MP Brian Jean, parliamentary secretary to Transport Minister John Baird, who administered the $1 billion Green infrastructure fund. Then Glemaud claimed he could “not recall.”

But the Star obtained copies of the three proposals last night, revealing that Jaffer’s firm had gone to bat for Green Rite Solutions, an arm of Wright Tech Systems. The Star has previously reported that Jaffer and Toronto businessman Nazim Gillani were involved in a plan to take Wright Tech public in a $1-billion deal, which later fell through.

It’s also a company that Jaffer’s wife, then cabinet minister Helena Guergis, touted to Simcoe County officials in a letter, urging them to consider “this presentation of alternative waste management technology.”

Guergis has denied any conflict of interest, saying she wrote the letter only “after assuring myself that my husband had absolutely no business links or financial interest in (Wright Tech Systems)”.

Jaffer tried to insist that he did not have a hand in submitting the proposals to Jean’s office. Yet handwritten across the top of one is, “From Rahim.”

The late-day revelations marked another blow against Jaffer, who had hoped to use the committee appearance to fight back against claims of improper lobbying.

Instead, he was looking shell-shocked as he found himself in the crosshairs of all parties for two hours, with the Conservatives charging that he had sullied them all.

“Do you believe and understand that your actions have tarnished the reputation of politicians from all parties—do you get that?” Conservative MP Tom Lukiwski asked Jaffer at the end of the grueling two-hour trial by fire on Parliament Hill.

“I’m quite surprised and shocked that I’m sort of being treated in this capacity,” answered the one-time Conservative caucus chair, reminding Lukiwski that Jaffer had ridden to power in Ottawa with the rest of the Harper team on a vow to clean up politics.

But Jaffer was repeatedly blasted as he sought to defuse the controversy that erupted around him and his wife, former cabinet minister Helena Guergis, after a Toronto Star article on Jaffer in early April painted a picture of alleged cocaine use, parties with busty hookers and ties to associates engaged in questionable business practices.

NDP MP Pat Martin led the charge, accusing Jaffer of improper lobbying and even questioning whether the former Conservative MP got a bag of cocaine as payment.

In a sharp exchange, Martin took issue with Jaffer’s claims that his contacts with Conservative MPs did not constitute lobbying.

“How could you not think that the work you were doing doesn’t fit into the category of lobbying,” said Martin, saying that Jaffer’s own website touted his countless relationships from his former political career.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with your ethical radar personally that some alarm didn’t go off in your head and say ‘I’m crossing a line here’,” Martin said.

Although describing Jaffer in friendly terms, Martin made no attempt to disguise his loathing over allegations that the former Conservative was using his political connections to drum up business.

“As soon as you got the opportunity, you got your nose in the trough, worse than the people you used to vilify,” Martin said.

Until Wednesday, Jaffer has declined to speak publicly about the controversy that led Prime Minister Stephen Harper to dump Guergis from cabinet and the Tory caucus and call in the Mounties.

Shifting from remorse to defiance and, finally, resignation, Jaffer maintained that neither he nor Guergis had engaged in any illegal or unethical behaviour.

“We’re completely being hung out to dry without any real evidence that we’ve done anything wrong,” Jaffer told MPs at one point.

He is a victim of “vicious attacks” and “second-hand allegations ... rumour and innuendo,” Jaffer, 38, said.

“All of this based on political agendas that have been playing fast and furious with people’s reputations, destroying their lives without any basis in fact.”

But Jaffer did apologize for his “poor judgment” last September when he was stopped by police and charged with drunk driving and cocaine possession. He pleaded guilty to careless driving – the other charges were withdrawn.

“I do want to state for the record that I have never partaken in any illegal substance. Nor have I ever endorsed this type of behaviour,” he said.

He apologized to his former political colleagues and his family for the episode, saying it was “out of character” and singled out Guergis.

“She’s the most important person in my life and I love her dearly,” he said. “It’s very unfortunate that her good name has been dragged into my problems.”

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Jaffer was testifying before a Commons committee looking into allegations of lobbying by a company he co-founded with Glemaud, a former Conservative candidate.

A Toronto Star investigation revealed that Jaffer dined with Gillani last September, who later sent a message to associates boasting “Mr. Jaffer has opened up the Prime Minister’s office to us.”

It was on the drive home from that dinner that Jaffer was stopped by police.

“You say you didn’t receive any money for services rendered from any client. Did he give you that cocaine as part of your payment for services to be rendered,” Martin asked.

Glemaud immediately intervened, saying he objected to the questions, forcing committee chair Yasmin Ratansi to ask him to “calm down.”

Jaffer snapped back at Martin, “You’re not the judge and jury. . . . It will be clear we haven’t done anything wrong.”

He told MPs that he and Gillani were not friends and that soon after meeting the Toronto businessman, it became clear that Gillani’s and Jaffer’s companies “were not convergent.”

Yet Martin went after the “serious contradiction” between their two interpretations of how the meeting went.

“You left with a feeling of no synergy and a pocketful of cocaine. He was left with the opinion that you guys were going to be great business partners and it was full steam ahead and next stop the PMO,” Martin said.

Among the other revelations:

•Jaffer says he never boasted about being able to open doors in the Prime Minister’s office. “Anyone who knows how this place works knows that no one has access to the Prime Minister’s office,” Jaffer told the committee.

•Jaffer denied misusing his wife’s parliamentary office resources. The ex-MP says he did store boxes of documents in her office after his defeat in 2008 and the loss of his own office. And while he had a Blackberry from his wife’s office, he used it only to check to her schedule. He says his business dealings were carried out at his own office.

•Jaffer denied that he had financial holdings in Belize, contradicting claims. “I have no interests in Belize. . . . this is complete rumour and innuendo.”

He told MPs his environmental company had not received any government grants and had not been paid to lobby public officials. He conceded that he had met socially with MPs since his election defeat in 2008 but only to “catch up.”

“Obviously, people would be curious as to the type of career I was embarking upon. I would update them on the work we were doing, trying to build a new business,” Jaffer said.

“This would be the extent of conversations as it related to my business affairs,” he said.

In fact, Jaffer said his and Glemaud’s company, Green Power Generation, had not received any revenues yet. He said the firm is running on “blood, sweat and tears” and “our own capital.”

Jaffer, 38, who lost his parliamentary seat in the 2008 election, co-founded Green Power Generation along with Glemaud, a Conservative candidate for Ottawa-Vanier in the 2008 federal election.

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