OTTAWA — A veteran Canadian journalist facing unproven and disputed allegations that he is working as a pro-Russian operative was the subject of several interviews during an investigation involving the RCMP, the Star has learned.
The exact purpose of the inquiries is unclear, but sources familiar with the probe said members of the RCMP-led INSET national security body had conversations with numerous individuals during the past two years that focused on the Ottawa Citizen’s David Pugliese and claims he is linked to Moscow. At one meeting in 2025, INSET officials “made it clear” they were approaching the matter “as a national security issue,” one of the sources said.
