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Gordon Dryden, a lawyer who served as federal Liberal party treasurer for 18 years, said he had “no comment whatsoever” on the case, in which George Dryden is suing him, Mary Lou, and George’s brother for $30-million.

George Dryden said he hopes the proceedings will rectify what he believes are historic wrongdoings, including allegations surrounding the division of his uncle’s estate.

No statement of defence has been filed, and the allegations have not been proven in court. Lawyers representing Mr. and Mrs. Dryden could not be reached for comment.

George Dryden’s paternity claim rests on what he says are long-held suspicions by family members, and conjectures stemming from his appearance, his name, his mother’s allegedly close friendship with Diefenbaker, and his own tense relationship with Gordon Dryden.

“I’m 99.9% certain I’m Diefenbaker’s son,” the 42-year-old legal consultant said in an interview. “I just want to prove that so I can start living my life as John Diefenbaker II.”

His lawyer, Stephen Edell, said the University of Saskatchewan’s Diefenbaker Canada Centre, which houses Diefenbaker artifacts, is considering a request for a DNA sample and that a decision is expected next month. The centre did not respond to a request for comment.

George Dryden said he has contacted several living Diefenbaker relatives, although none has expressed a willingness to provide a genetic sample.

A full-day hearing is scheduled for Nov. 7, when a judge will determine whether the case can proceed given that George Dryden signed a release precluding him from suing the defendants as part of a settlement involving his uncle’s estate in 2004.

National Post

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