By Andrew Macdonald
Topic: MacPolitics: Sources Report Iain Rankin Did Not Tell Stephen McNeil Of His Two DUIs – only disclosed one DUI
Outgoing NS Liberal leader Iain Rankin is silent after The Notebook asked him if he told former Liberal leader Stephen McNeil of his two drinking under the influence charges as a twenty-year-old and twenty-two-year-old.
I asked Rankin if he disclosed the two DUIs, sending email questions to his private email address. I sent the questions on April 2nd, 2022.
There has been no response from Rankin on those questions.
It is more than likely he lost the election over the disclosure of the two DUI infractions – Rankin blew a 30% lead in polls to lose last summer’s election by 7,500 votes to victorious Tory leader Tim Houston.
Various sources are now reporting to The Notebook that Rankin only disclosed one DUI charge to McNeil in 2013. That one charge was a conviction. He did not disclose the second DUI conviction, which he appealed and on a technicality was acquitted of the second DUI infraction.
But, Rankin, according to multiple sources, did not tell McNeil of the second DUI matter.
According to well-placed sources, Rankin only told McNeil during a candidate greenlighting process of the one charge.
As for the charges, his 2021 campaign team had not been made aware of the previous DUI charges, and one conviction.
The DUI charges were leaked to media a week before the summertime election campaign was issued.
I have recently reported that McNeil, who was a two-term premier did not campaign with Rankin last summer.
The reason, report sources, is because McNeil did not want to be questioned by media on whether he knew of the two DUI charges – because he only knew of one of the DUI charges.
I asked Rankin if he disclosed the two DUI charges to McNeil, in an April 2nd, 2022 email sent to Rankin’s personal email address. He has not responded over the last few weeks.
On April 2nd, 2022 I wrote to Rankin: “I hope you are well. I have a question of you – did you tell Premier McNeil in 2013 about your two DUI charges – or just tell him about one that resulted in a conviction?”, I asked Rankin.
I also wrote to Rankin: “I am intrigued that McNeil did not appear on campaign stops with you last summer during the election campaign – and I hear from sources he did not want to be in a position to tell media he only heard of one DUI issue – so he avoided appearing with you on campaign stops.”
I wrote to Rankin that “I have multiple sources who tell me you only disclosed to McNeil in 2013 the one DUI issue not the two DUI matters – I am running a story on this fact.”
“If you wish to comment, you can call,” I said in my message to Rankin. There has been stone silence since I sent that April 2nd email message to Rankin.
For a recent story on McNeil not appearing on campaign stops with Rankin, here is that story:
MacPolitics: Why Stephen McNeil Did Not Campaign With Iain Rankin
By Andrew Macdonald
Looking back at last summer’s provincial election, which Liberal Iain Rankin lost by 7,500 votes, not once did former premier Stephen McNeil make any campaign appearances with Rankin.
Did you, Dear Reader, also notice McNeil did not appear in photos with Rankin or attend campaign rallies with Rankin.
Not even when Rankin went campaigning in the former premier’s home of Annapolis County did McNeil join him on the campaign stops.
McNeil did make campaign stops with Liberal candidates and appeared in campaign videos, including a video for the nomination event for Yarmouth’s Zach Churchill.
The reason for McNeil’s absence with Rankin is rooted with the two Rankin ‘driving under influence’ charges. Sources report Rankin only disclosed one conviction as a 20-year-old to McNeil during his candidate vetting process in 2013.
Rankin reportedly did not disclose a second charge at age 22 that was dropped on a technicality.
McNeil knew that was a problem. If he appeared in public with Rankin and was asked by the media what he knew he would have to tell the truth, that he only knew about one.
So the only recourse was to avoid being in a situation where he might be asked. He didn’t want to hurt Rankin but he also was not going to lie to protect him.
McNeil is a person of integrity and Rankin had left him in a difficult position.
Iain Rankin on the 2021 campaign trail. (Contributed).
It meant that Rankin lost the very public support of McNeil when it might have made a difference in the election outcome.
The central Liberal campaign lost one of its best assets: the very popular former premier, Stephen McNeil.
