In 1986, O'Neill was working for the Canadian Press newswire, when she caught international attention for being the only reporter to capture Sondra Gotlieb slapping her social secretary Connie Gibson Connor at a state dinner held to honour Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and US Vice President George H.W.
In November 2004, Ontario Superior Court Judge Lynn Ratushny ruled that the sealing of the search warrants was unacceptable, although Justice of the Peace Richard Sculthorpe had given approval after the RCMP invoked the Security of Information Act.
Justice Ratushny stated that the sealing of the search violated guarantees of a free press, freedom of expression and the publics right to an open court system.
[3] In October 2006, Ontario Superior Court Judge Ratushny struck down Section 4 of the Security of Information Act,[4] ruling that it was "unconstitutionally vague" and broad[5] and an infringement of freedom of expression.
O'Neill was represented by attorneys Rick Dearden and Wendy Wagner from Gowlings a law firm with offices in Ottawa.