Accuser agreed to sex payment, Manitoba judge inquiry told

The man whose allegations of sexual harassment sparked a judicial inquiry against a Manitoba judge has been accused of agreeing to have sex with a neighbour's wife for money.

In his third day of testimony before a Canadian Judicial Council inquiry in Winnipeg, Alexander Chapman was grilled bySheila Block, the lawyer for Associate Chief Justice Lori Douglas,on excerpts from his day planner made in 2003 when he alleges the harassment by Douglas and her husband, Jack King, began.

"He would pay me $500 a week to do her," a handwritten entry reads. "I would flatter his wife with compliments and get" an adjacent entry reads. The end of the sentence is erased. "He would walk in. He would ask me to leave, walk out the door, pay me later."

Chapman had earlier told the inquiry he was being paid $500 a week to teach his neighbour's wife computer skills. Block suggested Wednesday he had lied.

"You've given an account to the [inquiry] panel which I'm going to suggest is false," Block said.

Chapman denied Block's suggestion and maintained he was teaching the woman how to use software.

As Block continued to read from the day planner, Chapman said "That's not right."

"It's your diary," Block fired back.

Block pulled other excerptsfrom Chapman's day planner about his neighbour,saying Chapman wrote he "went over to Dennis's house to fix a computer. Dennis leaves and let me flirt with his wife."

"This is a lie," Chapman muttered. "This man is 80 years old."

Chapman's sharp exchanges withBlock over hiscredibilitybegan during her questioning on Tuesday, whenBlockaccused Chapman of telling his lawyer at the time that he hoped to get rich offthe lawsuit he filed against King. Chapman, who had outbursts throughout the day,exploded with anger in his denial.

On Wednesday, Block asked Chapmanwhether he had any of the original emails he said he received from King, who was handling his divorce in 2003.He said he made copies of them in a text file and got rid of the originals.

When Blocksuggested Chapman could have changed the content, he replied: "I just wanted to copy it."

Block then returned to Chapman's day planner.

"When something unusual comes up, you put it in your day planner?" the lawyer asked.

Chapman said he did,but addedsome things were inaccurate.

Block pointed out there was nothing in his day planner about the second meeting Chapman said he had with King and Douglas. Block also noted Chapman gave several dates in various depositions and interviews about the specific date of that second meeting.

"But there is not one note in your day planner about that meeting," she said.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied

"There was nothing [in the day planner] about Ms. Douglas touching you?" Block continued.

No, Chapman replied.

"The reason you told the Law Society only about one meeting, I'm going to suggest to you, is because Ms. Douglas went to Earls and then left immediatelyback to her home and her child and the country," Block said.

In other questioning on Wednesday, Block zeroed in on Chapman's decision to share some of the material he was supposed to destroy under a $25,000 confidentiality settlement he reached with King. In return for the cash, Chapman agreed to "delete all emails and photos"sent byKing andnot seek legal action or speak publicly about the case.

Under Block's questioning,Chapman saidhe didn't recall signing the document. Block countered that Chapman'slawyer at the time, Ian Histed, will testifyChapman did sign.

"Ma'am, I am telling you under the circumstancesthe stress in my lifeI don't remember signing these documents," Chapman said.

"Sir, you swore to this committee in an affidavit that you signed a confidentiality agreement," Block reminded him.

"The signature appears to be mine," Chapman said. "It is what it is. I mean, what am I going to say?"

Block then questioned Chapman about why he not only failed to destroy the materials, but shared themwith friends.

Chapman replied he was concerned about issues he had with the police and other things andthat hegave it to friends as security. He said he told at least one friend to keep the photos and emails just in case "at some point if I get into trouble, if I disappear or something."

King has admitted to harassing Chapman and pleaded guilty to professional misconduct.