Sources in the Official Opposition BC United party have leaked a file on the 鈥渆xtremism鈥� of the B.C. Conservatives鈥� executive director, Angelo Isidorou, less than two weeks after the parties鈥� leaders announced a deal to work together.
The document depicts Isidorou鈥檚 involvement in the People鈥檚 Party of Canada as a founding member, his 鈥渁dmiration鈥� of right-wing figures including Donald Trump, and includes what it calls a 鈥渨hite power鈥� photo of him wearing a Make America Great Again cap while making a hand gesture it says is associated with the alt-right movement.
The seven-page report titled 鈥淎ngelo Isidorou鈥檚 Extremism鈥� was intended for use in the province鈥檚 Oct. 19 election, but was compiled before BC United Leader Kevin Falcon suspended his party鈥檚 campaign last month, urging support for the B.C. Conservatives instead.
B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad says of the claims that Isidorou is a 鈥渃apable individual,鈥� and he鈥檚 more concerned with defeating Premier David Eby鈥檚 New Democrats than about the people working behind the scenes in his own party.
Isidorou, who describes himself as a Canadian conservative who abhors all forms of extremism, says in a statement he was being a 鈥渄umb鈥� first-year university student when he wore the MAGA hat at the opening of the former Trump International Hotel and Tower in 2017.
He says the hand gesture is 鈥渋nnocuous鈥� and he 鈥渦tterly鈥� rejects it having a meaning other than 鈥淥K.鈥�
The opposition research document also included screenshots of Isidorou鈥檚 social media activity, including a post saying, 鈥淏uckle up, it鈥檚 riot season,鈥� in connection to Black Lives Matter protests.
It also shared a post from Isidorou about the 2023 election success of anti-immigration politician Geert Wilders in the Netherlands, saying: 鈥淔irst it was Argentina 鈥� today it鈥檚 the Netherlands. Tomorrow it will be Canada.鈥�
Isidorou resigned from the People鈥檚 Party of Canada in 2019.
The file about Isidorou was provided to The Canadian Press by BC United sources on condition of anonymity.
The future of the party has been in doubt since Falcon鈥檚 Aug. 28 announcement, with some of its MLAs now running as B.C. Conservative candidates and others as Independents.
