After trading barbs on Twitter for three days, prominent psychologist and author Dr. Jordan B. Peterson has told Trudeau crony Gerald Butts to go ahead and try to sue him for defamation.
“I gave Dr. Peterson three chances and a week to clean up his own room,” said Butts in a tweet on Wednesday. “He declined, so he’ll be hearing from my legal counsel shortly.”
Butts, who was Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s principal secretary before resigning during the SNC-Lavalin scandal in 2019, said that all proceeds after legal fees are paid will be donated to women’s domestic violence shelters in Ottawa.
Peterson said that he is more than ready for Butts’s lawsuit.
“My defence is firmly in place, legal and financial, so we’ll both get a chance to air our dirty laundry,” replied Peterson. “And I wouldn’t count on having too much to donate to your charitable cause when the smoke clears.”
Butts and Peterson engaged in a battle of threats on Twitter on Sunday after the former political staffer made unsubstantiated claims about the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC).
“When this week is seen from a bit of distance, the story will be that the MAGA wing of the Conservative movement in Canada — funded largely from abroad — staged a hostile takeover,” said Butts.
MAGA – “Make America Great Again” – refers to the campaign slogan of former US president Donald J. Trump.
Butts has been a vocal critic of the Freedom Convoy since before it arrived in Ottawa, alleging it has connections to far-right groups.
Butts failed to provide any evidence to support his allegation that the CPC was being funded from abroad and did not prove the party has a “MAGA wing.” Contrary to his remarks about former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole being voted out, Conservative MP Garnett Genuis said he was removed for non-ideological reasons and that it was an attempt to unite a divided party.
Peterson, who has supported the Freedom Convoy, skewered Butts for the comment.
“You are a stunningly corrupt and incendiary fool @gmbutts and the story will be the cowardice of your leader @JustinTrudeau and the lies of your damnable lying calumnous cronies,” said Peterson.
Butts responded by saying that Peterson should take down the tweet.
“I am going to be nice and give the good professor an opportunity to rethink this tweet,” he said. “That opportunity is time limited.”
True North is watching this developing story.
