NDP asks Speaker to examine social media influencer Lauren Chen’s refusal to testify

By Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press on November 7, 2024.

NDP MP Alistair MacGregor stands during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Monday, Oct. 17, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA – A social media influencer who declined to answer questions about an alleged Russian plot to sow division among the public is a step closer to being sanctioned by Parliament.

New Democrat MP Alistair MacGregor has asked House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus to consider whether Lauren Chen’s refusal to answer questions at a Commons committee meeting amounts to a breach of privilege.

Chen, who is Canadian, was summoned to appear at the public safety and national security committee as part of its study of Russian interference and disinformation campaigns in Canada.

Before Chen’s appearance Tuesday, her lawyer advised the committee she would read a prepared statement but would not respond to questions, citing a right to avoid incriminating herself.

A U.S. indictment filed in September charged two employees of RT, a Russian state-controlled media outlet, in a US$10-million scheme that purportedly used social media personalities to distribute content with Russian government messaging.

While not explicitly mentioned in court documents, the details match up with Tenet Media, founded by Chen and Liam Donovan, who is identified as her husband on social media.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.