B.C. cabinet minister under fire for penning visa references for foreign nationals on watch list

B.C.'s ministerof citizens' services is blaming a communications error for writing visa reference lettersfor foreign nationals on a security watch list that cite her role as a minister instead of as an MLA.

"As soon as the MP told me what some of the background issues were, I let them know that I was no longer interested in pursuing that," said Jinny Sims on Tuesday.

The letters, sponsoring 10 people from Pakistan, three of whom were on a watch list, were sent to Cloverdale-Langley MP John Aldag's office. Visas area federal matter.

Sims, who is also the MLA forSurrey-Panorama,said the reference in the letter to her role as minister"was done by error in the [constituency] office."

"As an MP, I used to write these letters ... as an MLA, all I'm saying is I know the people who are sponsoring them, and in this case, I knew some of the people who were coming."

Sims spoke to reporters after B.C. Liberal MLA Mike de Jongalleged inquestion period that Sims"was attempting to facilitate entry into Canada of foreign nationals who were on a security watch in exchange for money."

But Simsdenied money was ever discussedor that the individuals donated to her campaign.

Sources told CBC News that Simsdidn't see the letter before it was sentand an auto signature was used, but that she was making sure the error would not be repeated.

Claims from fired employee

The allegations leveled against Simsin the legislature stem from two letters written by a former employee in herconstituency office, who was fired in February after six weeks on the job.

They contain a number of claims Sims used personal email addresses and social media accounts to conduct ministerial business allegedly skirting Freedom of Information requests and mixing constituency and ministerial work, both of which she denies.

The claims in thelettershave not been verified, and the B.C. Liberals' have not repeated them outside of the legislative chambers, where they are protected by parliamentary privilege.

"I am very very clear that there is government communications, and then there is constituency communications," she said.

"And if it's government work, that you use my government email, but not to use my government email if it's to do with my constituents, because of the rules that we have."

Simsis the minister responsible for B.C.'s freedom of information rules. Last year, she acknowledgedthat a cabinet minister and several members of Premier John Horgan'soffice seemed to have deleted all emails for the first 100 days of the NDP's newgovernment.

With files from Tanya Fletcher and Paisley Woodward