Former RCMP intelligence official Cameron Jay Ortis has been found guilty of breaching Canada’s secrets law by a jury. The jurors declared Mr. Ortis guilty of three counts of violating the Security of Information Act and one count of attempting to do so. In addition, he was also found guilty of breach of trust and fraudulent use of a computer. Mr. Ortis, 51, had pleaded not guilty to all charges, including violating the secrets law by revealing classified information to three individuals in 2015 and attempting to do so in a fourth instance. During the trial, he testified that he offered secret material to targets in an attempt to get them to use an online encryption service set up by an allied intelligence agency to spy on adversaries.
The Crown argued that Mr. Ortis lacked the authority to disclose classified material and that he was not doing so as part of a sanctioned undercover operation. The guilty verdicts come after a lengthy trial that involved detailed evidence and testimony. It was a high-profile case, and the decision has significant implications for national security and intelligence protection in Canada. Mr. Ortis is now facing the consequences of his actions, and the trial has brought attention to the importance of safeguarding classified information and preventing unauthorized disclosure.