CTV News has just confirmed a detail which I broke on this blog 7 days ago. Last week, I explained:

**“Today, I learned that new improprieties by Liberal Senator Raymond Lavigne may land him in trouble with the RCMP. This morning, the Senate board of Internal Economy heard that he allegedly filed a false $20,000 travel claim and I’ve heard that his own colleagues are going to call for an RCMP criminal investigation.”

Last week CTV confirmed the over $20,000 in improper travel expenses ($23,500) and they confirmed my report of a special Senate meeting of the Board of Internal Economy. David Akin also revealed some other interesting details about the story in his televised report that night.

Today, the detail of the RCMP investigation has been confirmed by CTV. (which comes as a relief to this blogger who doesn’t have a warchest of a libel legal defence fund!)

*“A Senate committee report into the alleged misuse of funds by Liberal Senator Raymond Lavigne will be referred to the RCMP for further investigation, CTV News has learned.

The report that includes the recommendation is expected to be tabled shortly in the Senate, said CTV’s Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife.”*

My thanks to David Akin for the hat tip!

UPDATE**: On Mike Duffy Live, Steve McKinnon, the president of the Liberal Party of Canada has just declared Bill Graham’s decision to boot Senator Lavigne from the Liberal caucus “at the first whiff” of the referral to the RCMP as “decisive”. Lavigne was removed from the Liberal caucus today.

Sorry Steve. I caught the stench last week and broke it here on this blog. The “first whiff” of the referral to the RCMP is one week old.