A self-published author, Jeffrey Brown, has filed a lawsuit against the leading Canadian newspaper, the Toronto Star, saying that the publication failed to report the 2021 RCMP discovery of child abuse material on former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's phones and computers.
The case was filed in an Ontario Small Claims Court on Wednesday, 8th April, 2026, and seeks damages over what Brown describes as a breach of public duty.
According to the court filing, Brown claims that the newspaper did not publish information shared with it by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) regarding Justin Trudeau. Brown says that in 2021, journalist Robert Cribb told him about claims that the RCMP had flagged concerning activity on devices linked to Trudeau.
Brown argues that despite being told the source was "credible," the newspaper never published the story. He has accused the publication of failing in its responsibility to inform the public, especially on matters involving political leadership. The lawsuit reportedly seeks up to $50,000 in damages, although the court's limit stands at $35,000. As of now, there has been no official response from the Toronto Star, Cribb, or Trudeau's representatives.
Claims shared through social media posts
The court filing was first shared by the author on his Substack account. Brown also addressed the issue in a detailed post on the social media platform X, explaining why he decided to take legal action. In his post, he wrote, "I finally decided to begin my litigation process… I'm talking about the bigger picture consequences of media not sharing important details about political leadership with the citizenry."
He further claimed that the journalist had indicated the story might eventually come out. Quoting his interaction, Brown wrote that Cribb had said, "where there's smoke, there's fire," and confirmed that the source behind the information was credible. However, Brown expressed frustration that the report was never made public.