OK, here's what I'm getting from this story:

• The Alberta Progressive Conservatives said that they would release information about who was using the government's planes.
• April 2004: They failed to do so.
• June 2004: Charles Rusnell with the Edmonton Journal filed a Freedom of Information Request for the flight logs.  They were required to provide them within 30 days.
• July 2004: They don't.  Subsequently, Charles Rusnell files a FOIP request for information on how his original request is being responded to.
• November 12, 2004: An e-mail is sent from a freedom of information coordinator to senior department officials saying give them the information "on or after November 25."
• November 22, 2004: Provincial election.
• November 25, 2004: Documents are released.
• Mr. Rusnell smells a rat, and files a complaint with the Information and Privacy Commissioner.
• March 2005: A oral inquiry is held by the Information and Privacy Commissioner.  At that inquiry, the November 12 e-mail was entered as evidence by the government, but was modified to read "on or before November 25".  Mr. Rusnell, as a result of his second FOIP request, already has a copy of the original e-mail.
• That inquiry finds that the government deliberately delayed releasing the documents until after the election, and that they maniupated the freedom of information request for political reasons.
• As a result, Alex Pringle (my first year criminal law professor) was appointed a Special Prosecutor by Alberta Justice, and initiated prolonged negotiations toward obtaining access to the pertinent records.  The negotiations were unsuccessful.
• June, 2008: An RCMP officers signs a sworn affidavit that he has received information that one employee was instructed to not release the documents until after the election, and that another was instructed to stop looking for information on who might have changed the e-mail.  The affidavit is used to obtain a search warrant.
• July 18, 2008: The RCMP raid three offices including Service Alberta and Alberta Justice to determine who altered the e-mail, and collect six boxes and numerous computer records.
• The government and current and former employees involved in the matter claim solicitor-client privelege over the contents of the boxes.
• Recently, Pringle negotiated the release of some of these documents to the RCMP, and those over which privilege is alleged will be sent to a judge to determine if privilege should apply.
• Pringle expects to decide whether to lay charges shortly.

First of all... this all sounds so familiar... where have I heard it before?  Oh.  Right. That.It reminds me of Nixon, who they say was villified not by the illegal behaviour, but by the cover-up.  Paint my cynical, but I don't hold out a lot of hope that anyone will ever be held accountable for anything, here.  Maybe Pringle can prove me wrong.