Journalist says he has received threats after 'false' accusations that he is a Russian agent

A veteran Ottawa journalist says he and his family have received threats since he was accused of being a Russian agent at a House of Commons committee meeting last month — a claim he refutes, describing as “ridiculous.”

“There are now calls that I will be executed or tortured and that my family will be deported,” David Pugliese, a reporter with the Ottawa Citizen, told MPs on the House of Representatives Public Safety Committee on Thursday.

Appearing before the same committee last month, Chris Alexander — a former immigration minister in Stephen Harper's conservative government and a former Canadian ambassador to Afghanistan — accused Pugliese of being a Russian agent.

“Mr. Alexander's fabricated claims are not only bizarre, but dangerous to my family,” Pugliese told the committee. He said he had to increase security around his home as a result.

Alexander claimed that Pugliese was recruited by Russia for his role as a journalist and that he provided documents about the claims to the committee. He told the committee that the documents “are evidence of a serious attempt to undermine Canada's national security and collective self-defense.”

The documents – copies of which CBC News has obtained – are described on the cover page as being from the archives of the State Security Committee in Kiev, Ukraine, and dating from 1984 to 1990. CBC News has not independently verified the authenticity of the documents. .

The translated versions of the documents mention Pugliese, but largely refer to him as “Stuart”. They say the KGB saw him as a potential asset and sought out one of their agents, 'Ivan', to build a relationship with him. The documents do not indicate whether such efforts ever led to the recruitment of “Stuart” as an agent.

Pugliese said the documents are full of “factual errors and untruths” about his personal life.

The documents show that Pugliese lived in Ottawa in 1984 and was a student activist; he told MPs that both claims are false. He said that in the 1980s he worked for a U.S. military publication that covered topics that would not have cast a positive light on the Soviet Union.

'We wrote stories about how to wipe the Soviets off the face of the earth. How we could get more weapons. The need for NATO expansion, things like that,” he said.

Pugliese said he has no idea why Alexander made the accusation in the first place.

“I don't know what was going through Mr. Alexander's brain,” he said. He did point out that he reported on Alexander when he was a minister.

Pugliese said he has been the subject of similar accusations in the past, including one that alleged he was a CIA operative and a Taliban sympathizer.

“Fast forward to 2024, I am a Russian spy. I lead an exciting life,” he said sarcastically.

Pugliese has said Alexander's claims would be considered libel if they had not been said before a parliamentary committee. Testimony in committees is protected by parliamentary privilege.

Alexander told the Canadian Press last month that he stands by his statements in the committee. CBC News contacted Alexander for further comment on Thursday.

In his opening statement, Pugliese said he was disturbed by the fact that no MP opposed Alexander's claims. A number of MPs later said they were shocked by the allegations against Pugliese and claimed they had not had enough time to review the documents Alexander had submitted.

Brent Jolly, president of the Canadian Association of Journalists, joined Pugliese on the committee Thursday. He expressed support for the reporter, saying Alexander's comments were “baffling and dangerous.”

“Mr. Pugliese has been unnecessarily tarnished and is guilty of nothing other than being a journalist,” Jolly told the committee.