**Title: Nigel Wright's Death Revives Duffygate Scandal**

The recent passing of Nigel Wright, a former chief of staff to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and an executive at Onex Corporation, has brought renewed attention to the political scandal known as Duffygate. This controversy, which emerged in late 2012, centered around improper expense claims made by several Canadian senators, including Mike Duffy, Patrick Brazeau, Mac Harb, and Pamela Wallin.

Deloitte LLP was called in to investigate the senators' claims for travel and living allowances that they were not entitled to receive. As a result of the investigation, Harb retired, while Duffy, Brazeau, and Wallin were suspended from the Senate without pay. Duffy was later acquitted of criminal charges, while the charges against Brazeau and Harb were withdrawn.

Wright's involvement in the scandal became a focal point when it was revealed that he had provided Duffy with a personal cheque to cover $90,172 in expenses. This payment was made shortly before Duffy issued his own cheque to reimburse the Senate. In May 2013, media reports indicated that Wright's cheque was delivered to Duffy's lawyer on the same day Duffy wrote his own cheque. At the time, Wright was working in the Prime Minister's Office.

In a parliamentary session, Harper stated, "It was Mr. Wright who made the decision to take his personal funds and give those to Mr. Duffy so that Mr. Duffy could reimburse the taxpayers. Those were his decisions. They were not communicated to me or to members of my office." However, Duffy's lawyer alleged that the Prime Minister's Office had pressured Duffy into accepting the cheque.

Following these revelations, the federal ethics commissioner launched an investigation into Wright's actions. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) also looked into the matter but ultimately concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support criminal charges against him. Wright left the Prime Minister's Office in the fall of 2013, with Harper later stating that Wright had been dismissed.

Justice Charles Vaillancourt criticized Wright's actions, describing them as "mindboggling and shocking ... in the context of a democratic society." Despite the scandal, Wright's career was not solely defined by Duffygate. He began his professional journey as a law student at the University of Toronto, where he was recruited by then-Prime Minister Brian Mulroney to work for a senior policy advisor. After completing his studies, Wright joined Onex in 1997 and played a significant role in establishing the firm's London office in 2014. At the time of his death, he was co-head of Onex Partners and recognized as a leader in the investment community.

The fallout from Duffygate prompted widespread calls for Senate reform in Canada. A 2013 poll indicated that 49% of Canadians wanted the Senate reformed, while 41% favored its abolition. In response, the Senate implemented several changes, including stricter expense provisions and the establishment of an independent Office of the Senate Ethics Officer.

In 2017, Duffy filed an $8 million lawsuit against the Senate and the RCMP, claiming a negligent investigation. However, the Ontario Superior Court dismissed the suit, and an appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada was also rejected. Duffy retired from the Senate in 2021, where he expressed his grievances about the treatment he received during the scandal, stating, "The Senate is unelected and unaccountable to anyone other than itself. Sadly, that concept has been twisted to mean that Senators are not permitted the procedural fairness available to every other resident of Canada."