OPP investigates report of Layton massage clinic visit

TORONTO - Media reports that police found NDP Leader Jack Layton in a Toronto massage parlour in 1996 became the focus of a criminal investigation by Ontario Provincial Police on Saturday.

Provincial police were asked by the Toronto force to determine if notes taken by officers at the time of the raid on the establishment were the source of the leak, OPP Insp. Dave Ross said Saturday.

"Toronto police has requested us to conduct a criminal breach of trust investigation into the disclosure of information in that matter," Ross said in an interview.

Sun TV reported Friday that Layton was at a Toronto massage parlour during a police raid 15 years ago, but wasn't arrested or charged.

The network is attributing the information to notes taken by police officers at the time.

The story surfaced at the critical closing spurt of the federal election campaign, where polls show the surging New Democrats have rocketed into second place behind the Conservatives.

Ross said it's hard to predict how long the investigation will take.

"It's been assigned to our criminal investigations branch. The request was made today (Saturday), so the investigation began today."

Layton, who was a Toronto council member at the time of the incident, dismissed the story as a smear campaign aimed at derailing his recent surge.

The NDP's lawyer issued a statement Friday indicating that Layton was told by police he did nothing wrong and nothing further happened.

"The facts are that Mr. Layton had obtained a massage from a massage therapist, but had no knowledge whatsoever that the therapist's location may have been used for illicit purposes," Brian Iler said in the statement.

"Any statement or inference that Mr. Layton's actions or behaviour was other than the facts stated above would be without any factual basis, would clearly (be) made with malice, and ought not to be published."

Iler's statement added that Layton was told by police he did nothing wrong but that the location was questionable.

It said Layton gave police his name and address and nothing further happened.