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The Nov. 19 meeting is at the centre of the RCMP’s case against Vice-Admiral Mark Norman, who faces a criminal charge of breach of trust over accusations he leaked classified information in a bid to prevent the government from cancelling the Davie project.

That meeting saw Liberal ministers decide to delay the project while they sought more information. Word of their decision immediately leaked to the media and, amid the resulting public scrutiny, the government soon reversed course. Furious over the leak, the government launched an internal probe; when that failed to turn up answers, it referred the file to the RCMP for a criminal investigation, resulting earlier this year in a single charge against Norman.

Norman’s lawyers argue the leak — specifically to CBC reporter James Cudmore — came not from Norman, but from Matchett through Mersereau. They argue Cudmore had already received the cabinet materials by the time he contacted Norman for his story, which ran the morning of Nov. 20.

The first detailed accounting of how Matchett allegedly leaked the cabinet material is in 700 pages of court documents released Friday, part of Norman’s lawyers’ application to the court to have the government turn over additional material they claim they need to mount his defence. The documents include portions of what the government has handed to Norman’s defence team so far, such as emails and RCMP witness statements. The allegations against Matchett, and the contents of the documents generally, have not been tested in court, and may not necessarily be entered as evidence in Norman’s trial.

Photo by Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

It remains unclear why Norman has been criminally charged over cabinet leaks but Matchett has not. Norman denies revealing cabinet confidences and, in the run-up to his trial, scheduled for next summer, there has been no evidence yet disclosed that he leaked any documents.

Mersereau has signed an immunity agreement with the RCMP, revealed in court documents. But there is no sign that Matchett has immunity, and Norman’s lawyers Marie Henein and Christine Mainville say the RCMP has never even interviewed Matchett.

“This matter is still under investigation and, as such, we cannot comment further,” said RCMP spokesperson Christine L’Hébreux on Wednesday. She would not confirm whether Matchett is specifically under investigation.

However, Norman’s defence team is trying to learn more about Matchett. “The defence requires production of information relating to Mr. Matchett’s leaks and how his case was treated internally and by the RCMP,” reads a notice of application for third-party records Norman’s lawyers filed in October.

“Mr. Matchett’s leaks of classified documents relate to the very same cabinet meetings and subject matter at the centre of this prosecution. The information sought is also relevant to both the standard of conduct in Ottawa, the differing treatment of leaks in Ottawa, and the motivation for charging VAdm Norman.”