Duncan Kinney Legal Defense Fund

TLDR: This fundraiser is in response to a politically-motivated police investigation against me. One of the charges carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

I’m Duncan Kinney, Editor of the Progress Report, an independent news site doing accountability and investigative journalism focused on holding the powerful to account.

My journalism has focused extensively on the Edmonton Police Service, and I have uncovered many stories exposing EPS misconduct, misspending and misappropriation.

As a result, the EPS made me the only journalist they ever stripped of press credentials and, in October 2022, the Hate Crimes and Violent Extremism Unit charged me with the 2021 alleged vandalism of two monuments, one dedicated to Nazi collaborator Roman Shukhevych and the other to the 14th Nazi Waffen-SS Division. This Nazi Waffen-SS division was the same unit where last year a veteran was given two standing ovations by MPs in parliament, causing an international scandal and the resignation of the Speaker of the House.

I have pled not guilty, and am awaiting my trial.

But in the meantime, this has taken an enormous toll on my life and my family. The process has cost us nearly $20,000 and I’m still awaiting trial, with the costs continuing to mount.

Fighting to uncover truths that Alberta’s wealthy and powerful don’t want exposed is important and fulfilling, but far from financially rewarding. I’m a father to a 7-year-old, and we need your help. Please give what you can, and please share this with your networks.

The details:

Here’s why the EPS would be interested in silencing me. Since 2020 I’ve done numerous reports on the EPS that upset them, including:

In October of 2022 I was charged by the EPS Hate Crimes and Violent Extremism Unit for the alleged vandalism of a monument dedicated to the 14th Nazi Waffen SS division and the statue of Nazi collaborator Roman Shukhevych. I have written about these monuments prior to the vandalism and covered the vandalism, which occurred in August 2021, on the Progress Report.

I can now reveal some of the details because they are in publicly available documents and/or revealed in open court including more than 180 man hours of surveillance of me, more than 25 officers involved in the investigation and the surveillance of my family

“It should be self-evident that the enormous police resources poured into the EPS investigation about spray painting memorials to the Nazi Waffen-SS and one of its collaborators, which was removed by use of a garden hose, can only be explained by the EPS’ motivation to charge, and see convicted, a critic of the EPS,” said my lawyer, Tom Engel, in our pre-trial submission.

While I was charged with mischief under $5000 I was also charged with “Mischief in relation to a structure that primarily serves as a monument to honour persons who were killed or died in consequence of war.” The maximum penalty for this charge is 10 years in prison.

The EPS and Alberta’s crown prosecution service are making no distinction between the alleged vandalism of a monument to a Nazi Waffen-SS division and a cenotaph honouring Canadian veterans.

It’s now more than two years later and we’re still in pre-trial applications and submissions. My trial won’t be until sometime in 2025.

Chief Dale McFee is also personally intervening in my case and submitted a 44 page application to act as an intervenor in my pre-trial applications. He was successful and this adds additional legal complexity and prep hours for my legal team. Please contribute if you can.

Also, Danielle Smith, the far-right premier of Alberta and ally of McFee, said in 2023 that I had pled guilty to painting swastikas. She later withdrew and apologized for her remarks.

We’re also still waiting on a large amount of disclosure from the EPS and the prosecutor and we have another week of pre-trial hearings coming up in December.

All funds raised will go to my legal defence fund to help cover legal costs.

UPDATES: I will be updating this page regularly.