Retired Quebec Superior Court justice John Gomery, who became a household name after heading the inquiry into the federal sponsorship scandal, has died. John Gomery, who had been a lawyer and judge for 50 years, gained national prominence after former prime minister Paul Martin appointed him commissioner of the inquiry that examined problems with the federal sponsorship program in Quebec between 1995 and 2003. A Federal Court justice later struck down his conclusion that Chrétien and his chief of staff shared some responsibility for the sponsorship scandal. Former PM Jean Chretien holds up a golf ball as he testifies at the Commission of Inquiry into the Sponsorship Program on Feb. 8, 2005. The head of the inquiry, John Gomery, referred to golf balls that Chretien put his name on as "small-town cheap".

Source: CBC News May 19, 2021 12:07 UTC