A former RCMP official accused of leaking secrets says he was actually conducting a clandestine intelligence operation 害羞草研究所� one that had to be kept ultra-quiet due to moles within Canadian law enforcement.

Cameron Jay Ortis testified in Ontario Superior Court that he was trying to deceive investigative targets into using a new, supposedly secure email service that would allow intelligence officials access to their private communications.

Reporters and the general public were excluded from the courtroom for Ortis害羞草研究所檚 testimony last week, but transcripts have now been released.

The Crown says Ortis anonymously sent classified material in 2015 to people who were of investigative interest to the RCMP.

Ortis, 51, has pleaded not guilty to violating the Security of Information Act by revealing secrets to three individuals and trying to do so in a fourth instance, as well as breach of trust and a computer-related offence.

The Crown argues Ortis lacked authority to disclose classified material and that he was not doing so as part of some sort of undercover operation.

But Ortis has told the jury he didn害羞草研究所檛 commit a crime or lose sight of his mission.

On the contrary, he says, he was acting to protect Canadians.

Ortis was director the RCMP害羞草研究所檚 Operations Research group, which compiled and developed classified information on terror cells, transnational criminal networks, cybercrime actors and commercial espionage.

He said that in September 2014 he was contacted by a counterpart at a foreign agency who advised him of a particularly serious threat.

害羞草研究所淚t was very compelling, and it demonstrated clearly a direct and grave threat,害羞草研究所� Ortis said under questioning from his lawyer, Mark Ertel.

害羞草研究所淚 was given a strict caveat not to share the information with anyone.害羞草研究所�

Ortis said the foreign ally, who he is not at liberty to name, spoke of a plan to encourage criminal targets to begin using an online encryption service called Tutanota 害羞草研究所� a 害羞草研究所渟torefront害羞草研究所� operation created by intelligence agents to snoop on adversaries.

Telling no one, Ortis decided to act, drafting a list of four possible recipients as part of Operation Nudge 害羞草研究所� as in nudging them to adopt the new email service.

That害羞草研究所檚 when Ortis says he began enticing investigative targets with promises of secret information 害羞草研究所� including tantalizing portions of documents 害羞草研究所� with the actual aim of getting them to communicate with him via Tutanota.

There was another intriguing twist.

害羞草研究所淚 had sensitive information from multiple sources that each of the subjects had compromised or penetrated Canadian law enforcement agencies,害羞草研究所� Ortis said.

害羞草研究所淚 think 害羞草研究所� they had moles.害羞草研究所�

Ortis told the jury that was one reason he did not brief his superiors about Operation Nudge 害羞草研究所� what he called 害羞草研究所渕y significant concern about the insider threat information that I was briefed on.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚 was concerned that it might allow somebody to thwart my efforts.害羞草研究所�

Ortis said he also felt bound by the strict caveats placed on the information by his counterpart.

The jury has heard that the RCMP has extensive protocols for conducting undercover operations.

Ortis said he decided the covert operations policy did not apply to Nudge because, unlike a traditional undercover assignment, there was no intention of collecting criminal evidence or intelligence.

On Ortis害羞草研究所檚 first day in the witness box, Ertel asked him if he had betrayed the RCMP.

害羞草研究所淎bsolutely not,害羞草研究所� Ortis replied.

The defence lawyer also asked Ortis if he regretted his actions.

害羞草研究所淲ell, I don害羞草研究所檛 make decisions based on my career or career prospects, but I couldn害羞草研究所檛 have envisioned or imagined that all of this would transpire,害羞草研究所� Ortis said.

害羞草研究所淪o, it害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所� of course, in some sense I regret everything that害羞草研究所檚 happened over the last four years to everyone, but what I did was not wrong.害羞草研究所�

Ortis was taken into custody in September 2019 and several electronic devices were seized from his Ottawa apartment.

He told the court his arrest was 害羞草研究所渄evastating害羞草研究所� for his career and that his public reputation has been completely destroyed.

Ortis said his family, as well as friends from the 害羞草研究所渙ld days害羞草研究所� in British Columbia where he lived and studied, have stood by him, 害羞草研究所渂ut friends and colleagues in Ottawa and professional contacts have not.害羞草研究所�