Retired General Jonathan Vance has admitted to having sex with a subordinate while he was chief of defense, having denied the allegations in the past.
In a concerted statement recently submitted to the court, Vance also confirmed that he had one child with the woman, Major Kelly Brennan.
Brennan, an officer at Army Staff, made a series of audio recordings in which Vance admitted to having an intimate relationship while he was the best soldier. As Chief of Defense, Vance sat at the top of the Canadian military chain of command.
“Ms Brennan told Mr Vance that he would reveal their relationship, including that they had sex while he was Chief of Defense during his interview with investigators,” the statement said. filed in court.
“[Vance] he replied, “Okay, okay.” After coming to terms with the reality with which she would reveal the whole relationship [Canadian Forces National Investigation Service] investigators the next day, Mr Vance said: “Okay. Understood. This is good. You will have to prepare for that. “
Last month, Vance pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice for repeatedly contacting Brennan and trying to persuade her to give false testimony to investigators about their relationship. The agreed statement of facts in the case was presented in court as part of Vance’s guilty plea.
The Canadian National Investigation Service (CFNIS) investigated Vance last year. CFNIS has not charged him with a misdemeanor in connection with a 2004 military order requiring members of the Canadian forces to have sex with other members of their chain of command.
The revelations about Vance, first reported by Global News, set off a major crisis in the military and a cascade of other allegations of sexual misconduct involving senior officers. An unprecedented number of senior executives have been removed from top jobs from February 2021 in connection with sexual misconduct claims.
WATCH / Retired general pleads guilty to obstruction of justice, receives parole
The retired general pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice, received parole
Retired General Jonathan Vance, a former chief of defense, has pleaded guilty to obstructing justice in investigating allegations of sexual misconduct. He was released on parole, so there is no criminal record. 2:01
Speaking to Global News, Vance initially denied having an affair with Brennan. He now admits that his relationship with Brennan began in 2001, when they were sent to Gagetown, NB, and lasted until “early 2021, around the time of his retirement”, according to the facts.
“Jonathan Vance had a long-standing intimate relationship with Kelly Brennan, another member of the Canadian forces and a subordinate officer,” the statement said.
The document also details what was said in the audio recordings Brennan shared with investigators, which later led to the obstruction of the prosecution.
Court sketch of Jonathan Vance, who pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice during a virtual court hearing on March 30, 2022 (Greg Banning / CBC)
After Global News first contacted Vance around February 1, 2021, to ask about the “existence of an affair” with Brennan, Vance called Brennan several times to discuss a “joint and mutually beneficial public response to their secret, intimate relationship “, it is said in the agreed statement of facts.
“He promoted a fake story in which he encouraged Ms. Brennan to perpetuate his lie: ‘Sex in Gagetown, no sex in Toronto, no sex until CDS.’
Vance asked Brennan if she was “clear about our story.”
Vance acknowledged during one of the talks the possibility of an investigation and that investigators would want Brennan as a witness, the statement said.
“In the fifth and final call in a series of talks on February 1, 2021, Mr. Vance outlined various adverse consequences of public disclosure of their illegal affair, including the impact on his reputation, his job and the end of his marriage,” the statement said. the statement.
In one of the recorded calls quoted in the statement of facts, Vance told Brennan that “before the storm begins”, he wanted to “make sure that” Brennan is “clear in our history” and that she will “adhere to to her. ” “
Brennan revealed publicly in her testimony before a hearing of the House of Commons committee in April 2021 that she had shared her recordings of conversations with investigators. During the same event, Brennan claimed that Vance was the father of two of her eight children. Later, DNA tests confirmed that Vance was the father of one of the children.
Both the Crown and the defense filed a joint recommendation with an Ottawa court last month seeking parole in exchange for Vance pleading guilty. The judge granted the request and gave Vance a year of probation and 80 hours of community service – and no criminal record.
Judge Robert Wadden said he did not think it was “necessary to work hard.” [Vance] with a criminal conviction “because he believed that Vance could continue and make a further contribution to society.
Among the factors Wadden took into account during the sentencing were references to the heroes of retired military members and a former priest-major general. Guy Chapdelin, who still serves.
“I don’t want him to have power over me”
Others who have written positive characters about Vance include retired Major General Simon Hetherington, retired Officer Barbara Badjem, former Deputy Secretary of Public Service and Supply in Canada Gavin Lyddy, retired Officer Matthew Parsons, retired Retired Chief of Staff Andrew Sentunder -General Frederick Hodges.
Brennan told CBC News that she told Crown “not to bother” to read her statement about the victim’s impact in court because Vance has already negotiated a plea agreement and because a custody battle continues over their child.
A copy of her statement presented in court describes the emotional consequences caused by Vance’s behavior.
“To find myself in a situation where my boss is abusing his power and using his power to intimidate and silence me was a complete betrayal of everything I respected in the military,” she wrote.
“I don’t want him to have power over me or the ability to influence me in my life.”
Brennan wrote that she had changed jobs, lost respect for her chain of command, and did not want to talk to Vance again.
“I want to be free, to heal and to keep my children safe, happy and looking to the future,” Brennan wrote.
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