The RCMP paid a communications consultant almost $25,000 in taxpayers' money to help Giuliano Zaccardelli prepare for parliamentary hearings that ultimately led to the commissioner's resignation.

In December, Zaccardelli told the same committee he was wrong in his original explanation -- that in fact he didn't know until years later the national police force had incorrectly labelled [Maher Arar] a terrorist. The government accepted the commissioner's resignation the next day amid questions about his competence.