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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Judge's accuser answers questions on sex scandal

By: Melissa Martin
April 6, 2011

WITHIN hours of lawyer Jack King's public call to the media to put some hard questions to Alex Chapman, the man at the centre of a sex scandal arrived at the Free Press to offer up his answers.

"I did all the (questions) from the press, Jack King never came forward to say anything to you guys," Chapman countered Tuesday.

King pleaded guilty last month to a Law Society of Manitoba charge of professional misconduct, then broke his media silence, chastising the press for "allow(ing) Mr. Chapman the forum in which to broadcast his fabrications."

In a letter sent to the Free Press Monday, King criticized the media for not asking Chapman "the hard questions," such as why Chapman was fired from Great-West Life and about "the conditions on which he pretended to return the $25,000" that King paid in a 2003 civil agreement binding Chapman to secrecy.

In response, Chapman produced documents showing his lawyer sent a cheque for $25,000 to King's lawyer Sept. 13, 2010, on condition that King drop a lawsuit against him for breaching the civil agreement when he took his story to the media last year. The cheque was returned, noting that the conditions were "not accepted."

Chapman said he also plans to file a wrongful termination lawsuit against Great-West Life once the dust has settled on the King saga. As to why he was fired, Chapman said he's not prepared to discuss that because it is a pending "legal matter."

Chapman said part of the reason he took years to come forward to the media with his case is because the $25,000 deal with King had bought his silence. But Chapman added he also was "not in the right frame of mind'' and did not have the resources to pursue the matter.

Chapman expects to be interviewed this month as part of the Canadian Judicial Council's investigation into the sexual harassment complaint he filed against Justice Lori Douglas, King's wife.

Chapman accused King of pressuring him in 2003 to have sex with Douglas, named a judge two years later. He said King gave him sexually explicit photos of Douglas. King admitted to sexual harassment, conflict of interest and failing to conduct himself with integrity. But he said all his wife did was privately indulge him. He posted naked photographs of her on a website and gave some to Chapman.

Since the story broke in early September, King and his lawyers have maintained Douglas is innocent of wrongdoing. While the judge has never spoken publicly about the matter, they have insisted she did not know King had proposed that Chapman have an affair with her until Chapman's lawyer contacted them in June 2003.

The judicial council will decide whether Chapman's complaint has any merit.

melissa.martin@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition April 6, 2011 Page B2.