Former Conservative MP Helena Guergis accused the prime minister’s office Friday of embarking on a concerted effort to “perpetrate lies and smear” her reputation to justify her removal from caucus.

Guergis made the accusation during a teary news conference in her Simcoe-Grey riding where she addressed an RCMP report detailing communications between the PMO and the Mounties regarding allegations that she was involved in fraud and extortion — allegations that were never proven.

“The details of this report are extremely disturbing,” Guergis said at her Collingwood campaign office.

“If only Mr. Harper had taken the time to be open about the allegations that were presented to him, and had given me a chance to confront them, much hardship could have been avoided. Instead, it has now been confirmed to me … that it was the Prime Ministers’ Office communications office that was on a destructive campaign perpetrating these false allegations that have damaged my reputation.”

The former minister of state for the status of women was booted from cabinet and caucus in April 2010 after the prime minister said he had become aware of “serious allegations” involving Guergis that he asked the RCMP to investigate.

Guergis says she was never given an explanation why she was kicked out of the party even though she was cleared by the RCMP. She said she asked Prime Minister Stephen Harper on several occasions why she had been expelled so that she could defend herself.

“Unfortunately, he refused,” she said.

Only by making access-to-information requests from several government documents under the Privacy Act was Guergis able to obtain documents that show she didn’t do anything wrong.

“Not only was it made to seem that I was guilty of conduct that had never been disclosed to me — going against the very core of what our principles of justice are built on — the prime minister’s office still made it seem as though I was guilty of something, even after I had been proven innocent,” said Guergis, who is currently running for re-election in Simcoe-Grey as an “Independent Conservative,” a title she was given by the House of Commons after she was removed from caucus.

She first won the Georgian Bay riding in 2004. She is now facing off against Conservative candidate Kellie Leitch.

In an interview with the Star Thursday, Guergis said she was being punished for the alleged actions of her husband, former Conservative MP Rahim Jaffer. Guergis was booted from cabinet just a day after the Star reported that Jaffer had dined in Toronto with business associates, one of whom later claimed in an email that Jaffer “has opened up the Prime Minister’s Office to us.”

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff and NDP Leader Jack Layton both expressed puzzlement Friday over Harper’s decision to kick Guergis out of the Conservative party.

“The whole thing is a double standard,” Layton said when asked about Guergis’ comments to the Star Thursday alleging she had been treated more harshly by Harper because she is a woman.

“I don’t understand it and I don’t think Canadians buy the prime minister’s logic here, whatever it might be. I think it’s very upsetting to see.”

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Guergis said the last year has been a “nightmare” for her family.

“The damage is real,” she said, breaking down in tears. “It is deep and it is permanent.”

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