Rumours began on September 10, 2013 when Ottawa journalist Don Martin wrote that "sources" said MacDonald was about to be named Harper's Communications Director.
Rumours began on September 10, 2013 when Ottawa journalist Don Martin tweeted that "sources" said MacDonald was about to be named Harper's Communications Director.
Two days later MacDonald was named as the Prime Minister's Office's Director of Communications, replacing Andrew MacDougall, who left for a job in England.
"[5] In January 2014, Jason MacDonald accused the National Council of Canadian Muslims of having "documented ties to a terrorist organization such as Hamas".
The council, a Canadian Muslim civil liberties organization, filed a libel notice the same month in response, demanding a retraction and apology.
Subsequently, on May 26, 2014, the council filed a defamation lawsuit in Ontario Superior Court against Jason MacDonald and Prime Minister Stephen Harper as it had not received a retraction.
[6] In February 2015, Jason MacDonald was questioned under oath in the defamation case and Stephen Harper claimed parliamentary privilege to avoid testifying.