The source of a photo of Justin Trudeau appearing in brownface at a 2001 event 害羞草研究所� the first to rock the Liberal leader害羞草研究所檚 re-election campaign 害羞草研究所� broke his silence Friday to say he was acting with the public害羞草研究所檚 interest at heart.
Michael Adamson害羞草研究所檚 statement said his decision to send a yearbook containing the photo to a reporter at Time magazine 害羞草研究所渨as motivated solely by the belief that the Canadian public had a right to see it.害羞草研究所�
The statement went on to say that Adamson has never been a member of a political party, and he did not receive any payment for providing the photograph to the American publication.
The 18-year-old image of Trudeau 害羞草研究所� his face, hands and neck completely darkened by makeup while wearing an elaborate turban and robe to be made up like the character Aladdin 害羞草研究所� was taken during an 害羞草研究所淎rabian Nights害羞草研究所� gala hosted by West Point Grey Academy, a private school in Vancouver where Trudeau was a teacher at the time.
Time published the image one week after the federal election campaign officially began, and described Adamson as a Vancouver businessman who was 害羞草研究所減art of the West Point Grey Academy community.害羞草研究所�
Adamson said in his statement he had heard gossip about the photo because of his position in the private school community, and was able to obtain a copy of the yearbook to send to the Time reporter.
The controversy around Trudeau害羞草研究所檚 appearance in brownface deepened when he admitted to wearing blackface as well and more images emerged, throwing the campaign into chaos when the instances became public starting Sept. 18.
While the conversation around the incidents themselves 害羞草研究所� and Trudeau害羞草研究所檚 response to the political crisis 害羞草研究所� continued, some questioned how the initial photo had been missed by Canadian journalists and politicians, and instead found its way to an American magazine.
Scrutiny turned to Adamson, who was named in the Time piece, but was not immediately reachable by journalists looking to follow up.
ALSO READ: Jean Chretian on how Trudeau handled blackface controversy
Details first published in The Globe and Mail revealed Adamson was a consistent donor to private schools and other causes in Vancouver and was involved with an export company.
The newspaper also reported that Adamson had a connection to one of the Time reporters responsible for publishing the photo through his son, who went to Cornell University in the U.S. with the Time reporter. Adamson himself donated to the Ivy League school.
Adamson said he will not be making any more public comments on the issue, and asked for privacy.
READ MORE: 害羞草研究所業 shouldn害羞草研究所檛 have done it,害羞草研究所� Trudeau says of brownface photo
RELATED: Alberta premier calls Trudeau害羞草研究所檚 behaviour an 害羞草研究所榠nsulting, racial mockery害羞草研究所�
Christian Paas-Lang, The Canadian Press
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