An Alberta Court of King’s Bench judge has denied Alberta attorney Jeff Rath’s request for an additional $776,000 to cover personal and legal expenses while his accounts remain frozen by a court order. Rath, a notable figure in Alberta’s separatist movement, has been under a Mareva order since July, which has frozen his personal and professional assets due to legal action by the Tallcree First Nation. The First Nation alleges that Rath misused funds from a trust account established in 2017 to handle settlement funds from the federal government.
Rath and his professional corporation previously accessed $135,000 in July from the $3 million held in trust by his legal representatives. Rath sought the release of an extra $776,469 to cover $350,000 in legal fees and $426,469 in living expenses. His living expenses request included costs related to his horses, his daughter’s education, housing, healthcare, and personal matters.
In affidavits dated September 11 and 22, Rath claimed to have experienced significant financial difficulties and that the Mareva order had impeded his ability to fulfill financial responsibilities and cover both business and personal expenses. However, Justice Lorena Harris, in her decision released on Thursday, found that Rath’s request did not meet the necessary criteria for fund release due to incomplete and unreliable financial disclosures, preventing a clear assessment of his available funds for expenses.
Despite the dismissal of the application, Harris indicated that a future request for funds could be considered if accompanied by comprehensive financial records and a detailed breakdown of legal and personal expenses. CBC News reached out to Rath’s legal team for comment on the judge’s ruling, with Rath previously denying the allegations of misappropriating trust funds.
Chief Rupert Meneen and the Tallcree First Nation had requested the Mareva order out of concern that funds could be misused or concealed before the legal process could unfold. The court agreed that a strong basis existed for granting the temporary order. The legal matter traces back to 2017 when the Tallcree First Nation received $57.6 million from the federal government following a settlement. Rath, who was entrusted to manage the funds, later faced challenges over his fees, leading to ongoing legal disputes.
In a separate case, the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation is also aiming to remove Rath as trustee of its trust account over undisclosed administrative and legal charges discovered recently.