Pubdate: Wed, 30 Nov 2005 Source: Vancouver Courier (CN BC) Copyright: 2005 Vancouver Courier Contact: http://www.vancourier.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/474 Author: Mike Howell, Staff writer SULLIVAN WONDERS ABOUT CHIEF'S TIMING Mayor-elect Sam Sullivan says retiring Mayor Larry Campbell is the inspiration behind an RCMP probe of his well-publicized admissions that he supplied money to drug addicts more than three years ago. Sullivan said Campbell has admitted in the media that he wrote a letter several weeks ago to B.C. Solicitor-General John Les over concerns related to Sullivan supplying money to a drug addict and addicted prostitute. The letter was sent during the municipal election campaign in which Campbell endorsed Sullivan's opponent, Jim Green of Vision Vancouver. Sullivan was elected Nov. 19. "He was out speaking to the public about how awful I was and how useless I was as a councillor and how wonderful Jim Green was," Sullivan told the Courier yesterday morning. "At the same time, he was writing a letter asking for a criminal investigation against me. I think this was an unfortunate use of his office as chair of the police board." The Courier left messages with Campbell's office and executive assistant yesterday, but they were not returned before deadline. Campbell's last council meeting was yesterday. When Sullivan is sworn in as mayor Dec. 5, he will automatically assume the position as chair of the Vancouver Police Board. In an Oct. 5 story in the Courier, Sullivan admitted he gave money to three drug addicts to buy drugs to help them "manage" their addictions. The recipients of Sullivan's money were a crack addict in his 30s living in the Downtown Eastside, a young heroin-addicted prostitute working in Collingwood and a close friend of the Sullivan family. Sullivan pointed out yesterday that two of the three incidents were previously reported in the media, including a front page story in the Vancouver Sun in December 2000. Because the incidents occurred several years ago, and were widely publicized, Sullivan is wondering why police didn't investigate then. "It was on the front page of the Vancouver Sun at a time when both Larry and the police chief were in town," he said, adding that Jamie Graham wasn't chief at the time but believed he was aware of the story. "I don't fault the police chief. The police chief surely has to respond to the hysteria of the chair of the police board, if that's what's happening." Police Chief Jamie Graham asked the RCMP to investigate Sullivan after he consulted with the Office of the Conflict of Interest Commissioner, said Const. Howard Chow, VPD media liaison officer. Graham pursued the matter after stories regarding Sullivan's involvement with drug addicts surfaced in the media during the 2005 election campaign, Chow said. "Given that the election was going on at the time, we chose not to make any comment about it for fear of influencing the decision of voters one way or the other," he said. The conflict commissioner recommended Graham ask a separate police agency-in this case, the RCMP-to review the department's concerns over Sullivan's actions. When asked why police didn't investigate Sullivan when stories reported his actions several years ago, Chow said "the big distinction here is that he would eventually be the head of the police board." Added Chow: "It really came into our radar during this election. Comments were made by a number of citizens, it was reported in the media as well." Chow said Campbell's letter to the Solicitor-General was independent of the police chief's decision to ask the RCMP to investigate Sullivan. Sullivan said he doesn't believe the issue will affect his relationship with the chief. The RCMP probe comes one week after Vision Vancouver asked for an inquiry into allegations that Sullivan helped independent mayoral candidate James Green in his campaign. "Larry Campbell's honeymoon lasted two-and-a-half years. Mine lasted two-and-a-half days. And people said I would be a boring mayor." - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman