# Source note — RCMP/open-letter “nine Liberal ministers compromised” claim

Date checked: 2026-07-20

## Lead
- Instagram Reel: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Da0B1LVxpWf/?igsh=YTRzNnA3OWc0d3Bp
- Visible Instagram account: @frank_nacci
- User-supplied screenshot shows an X post by Martyupnorth® saying: “These 9 current and former Liberal Ministers were singled out as compromised in an open letter by 2 RCMP officers.”
- X capture from public page found the same post text and image media URL in Martyupnorth page data.

## Verdict used
Partly true / not proven as stated.

Confirmed:
- A circulated open-letter package exists online and is described by multiple secondary outlets.
- The letter/reporting names nine current/former Liberal ministers: Marco Mendicino, Dominic LeBlanc, Bill Blair, David McGuinty, Anita Anand, Steve MacKinnon, Mélanie Joly, Arif Virani and Chrystia Freeland.
- Sources identify the signatories as RCMP Sgt. Peter Merrifield and retired national-security detective Paul McNamara; some coverage says “serving RCMP sergeant and retired national security detective,” while Mac’s Opinion says “retired police officers.”

Not proven in this review:
- That the nine are legally or officially “compromised.”
- That an RCMP, CSIS, court, parliamentary committee, NSICOP report, or official ethics finding has adopted the open letter’s allegations as proven fact.
- That “2 RCMP officers” is exact wording for both signatories; source wording varies.

Editorial rule:
- Treat the open letter as a public allegation/source lead, not a conviction or official finding.
- Keep possible/proven/not-proven labels separate.