Tories accuse Liberal government of concealing Laith Marouf settlement details

OTTAWA — The Conservatives are accusing the Mark Carney Liberals of concealing details of a deal reached in efforts to recover over $122,000 in government money paid to an antisemitic “anti-racism” contractor.

In the summer of 2022, the Department of Heritage cancelled a $122,661 contract with Laith Marouf’s Community Media Advocacy Centre, money meant to further the government’s anti-racism agenda. 

With interest, the total now surpasses $142,695.

“Laith Marouf is a raging antisemite who literally referred to the Jewish people as ‘human bags of feces,” Conservative MP Rachael Thomas told the Toronto Sun. 

“To have someone who claims to be a media consultant who would help folks overcome racism, and then for him to have dozens of these types of posts out there, and for the federal government to not be able to recover the money that was invested him and further his antisemitic beliefs.”

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

Marouf described Jews as ‘loud-mouthed bags of human feces’

The contract was terminated in September 2022 after Marouf’s history of making antisemitic, anti-Francophone and anti-Black remarks on social media became known through media reports.

Other posts by Marouf included stating Jews deserve to be shot in the head, calling zionists “heirs of nazis” and demanding Jews leave Israel and “go back where they came from.”

In other posts, he referred to Black people as “slaves” and referred to people from Quebec as “frogs.”

His now-deactivated X account has also been previously suspended over other hateful posts.

While the federal government launched legal action against Marouf to recover the money in late 2023, attempts by Lethbridge MP Rachael Thomas to find out the status of the government’s recovery efforts were met with a brick wall of silence.

“A settlement agreement was reached in March 2025 with the Community Media Advocacy Center,” reads a Dec. 8 Heritage Department response to an order paper question filed by Thomas.

“The agreement contains a confidentiality clause that prevents disclosure of the details.”

Government sought $40,000 settlement

But according to a publicly-available Heritage Department briefing note, in June 2024 the government attempted to negotiate a $40,000 settlement deal with CMAC, with both parties absorbing their own legal costs.

“On August 20th, 2024, instructions to settle the litigation were received from the Minister’s office and, that same day, the litigation team contacted CMAC’s counsel to start the settlement negotiations,” reads the briefing note, indicating that by Aug. 26, government lawyers say they received no response to CMAC’s legal team.

The government chose legal action, the note stated, because efforts by third-party collection agencies proved unsuccessful.

Marouf arrested in Lebanon in May

Marouf left Canada in the wake of the scandal, landing himself in the custody of Lebanon’s Military Intelligence Directorate, after being found in a restricted area near that country’s border with Israel.

Attempts were made by the Toronto Sun to reach out to Marouf for comment.

The fact the government chose to settle instead of recouping the full amount, Thomas said, amounts to excusing Marouf and his conduct.

“At a time when antisemitism is rising across Canada, for the government to enter into a secret deal not only deepens the hurt felt by the Jewish community, it further erodes public trust,” she said.

“When a mistake is made , the Canadian public depends on the government to recover that taxpayer money in full — for the government to simply settle is to excuse Laith Marouf’s behaviour.”

bpassifiume@postmedia.com
X: @bryanpassifiume