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Blair's ex-chief of staff to testify at foreign interference inquiry over warrant to monitor influential Liberal

Agents were 'very frustrated' by weeks of delays in getting authorization for an electronic and entry warrant back in 2021

by · National Post

OTTAWA — The foreign interference inquiry issued a last-minute call for former Public Safety Minister Bill Blair’s chief of staff after CSIS executives revealed agents were “very frustrated” that Blair’s office took at least six weeks to sign a warrant to monitor an influential Liberal powerbroker.

Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference (PIFI) staff sent a note to parties Sunday evening advising that it intended to call Zita Astravas to testify as part of ongoing public hearings. Wednesday, Astravas was quietly added to the inquiry’s list of witnesses to testify in coming weeks.

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