OTTAWA — The office of former Canadian foreign affairs minister John Baird issued a statement on Monday clarifying that neither he nor the Canadian government were consulted regarding the invitation list for a 2014 seminar that featured convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Baird's name was noted in documents recently released by the U.S. Justice Department, which included guest lists from work-related events and a document inviting Epstein to a week-long seminar in Austria supported by the foreign ministries of Canada and Norway.
The official invitation document appears to be signed by John Baird, Norway's foreign minister at the time, Borge Brende, along with the leaders of the International Peace Institute and the Salzburg Global Seminar. However, Epstein’s name does not appear on the list of participants for the 2014 event.
In the statement issued by Michael Ceci, Baird’s chief of staff at Bennett Jones law firm, it was asserted that Baird does not recall any consultation with the Canadian government or his office regarding the seminar’s invitation list. According to the statement, the guest list for the seminar was independently managed by the International Peace Institute without seeking approval from the Canadian government. Furthermore, the invitation extended to Epstein was characterized as a “standard form letter” that was distributed to hundreds of recipients instead of being individually signed.
Moreover, Baird only became aware in 2020 of Epstein's previous charitable donations to the International Peace Institute. The announcement indicated that Baird has not been involved with the organization since leaving his position as foreign affairs minister in February 2015. The statement clearly emphasized that Baird had never heard of Epstein at the time and had no reason to believe he had ever met him, and therefore, he was unaware of Epstein's 2008 conviction in South Florida.
This conviction involved Epstein's plea deal in which he was found guilty of soliciting prostitution from a minor, leading to various civil lawsuits from victims. Furthermore, in 2019, Epstein was charged with the sex trafficking of minors and was later found deceased in his jail cell in New York later that year.
The recent release of documents from the U.S. Justice Department included approximately 3.5 million pages that had been redacted. These documents were disclosed as a result of legislation enacted by former U.S. President Donald Trump, which was aimed at addressing public pressure to reveal information regarding Epstein.
Additionally, Baird was mentioned in other documents, including guest lists from the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in 2013 and a working dinner focused on the Middle East in 2014, although these documents do not indicate any direct connection to Epstein.
The statement from Baird's office reiterated that none of the documents provided show any evidence of wrongdoing by Baird or that he had any foreknowledge of Epstein's criminal activities. The clarity in Baird's defense underscores an effort to dissociate himself from the implications of Epstein's associations and alleged conduct.
