The Independent Press Gallery of Canada (IPG) condemns the criminal investigation launched against journalist Keean Bexte and Juno News under section 91(1) of the Canada Elections Act.
Bexte is facing potential charges for his reporting on Liberal candidate Thomas Keeper — reporting that was sourced, corroborated, and followed by the Liberal Party itself dropping Keeper from the ballot.
Section 91(1) has already been ruled unconstitutional by Ontario courts and condemned as vague, unnecessary, and dangerous to free expression. Using it against independent media is censorship by prosecution and a chilling threat to democracy itself.
This case is part of a disturbing pattern.
The 2025 election campaign was rife with targeting of independent journalists by the Liberal Party and its leader, Mark Carney. Journalists from independent outlets, including Juno News, were repeatedly barred from Carney’s press conferences, where police were even used to keep reporters from asking questions. Now, post-election victory, the Liberal government is escalating from exclusion to criminalization through the abuse of an over-reaching and purposefully murky law.
The IPG stands with Juno News. Censorship by prosecution cannot be allowed to replace accountability.
Free elections require a free press.
Sheila Gunn Reid
President, Independent Press Gallery of Canada
