The Curious Case of David Pugliese

Today we’re reopening the files on what might be the strangest and most shocking Canadian media story in recent memory. The Ottawa Citizen journalist, David Pugliese, who was allegedly compromised by the KGB.

On October 24th, 2024, Chris Alexander, former MP and former Harper cabinet minister, also a former Canadian diplomat to Russia, gave sworn testimony at a parliamentary inquiry into Russian interference and disinformation campaigns in Canada. And that’s where the allegations first came to public light.

The story stunned the Canadian media world. David Pugliese has been a fixture in Canadian journalism for almost 40 years. He does serious in-depth reporting about national defense. And the idea that all this time he's been a secret Russian agent, it just seemed nuts.

But these were serious, potentially career-ending, potentially criminal allegations. Pugliese denied the allegations outright in clear and emphatic language. The Canadian Association of Journalists stood by his side and decried the allegations as a McCarthy-esque smear job. And the story, well, google it now, and the internet’s collective wisdom will tell you that the story is debunked.

So why are we talking about it now? Because our investigation raises new questions about the allegations against Pugliese and about the Canadian media’s role in the story.

Host: Jesse Brown

Credits: Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor & Technical Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), Written and Reported by, Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)

Additional music by Audio Network

Fact checking by Julian Abraham

Photo: David Pugliese’s X Profile

More information:

• Canadaland’s Substack
• Forged KGB Documents Used to Smear Journalist in Parliament | The Walrus
• So You've Become a Russian Asset - by Justin Ling

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