UPDATED: DirtyTrickWatch: Did Conservative campaign really try to plant bogus Ignatieff photos with QMI?

UPDATE: Mercury LLC fights back in a late Wednesday press release - full text at the bottom of this post. Earlier... In case you missed it, here's the short version of the latest tale of war room antics gone horribly awry as it originally appeared in today's Third Rail: .

.. At some point during the day, #CLSH, as he's become known in the twitterverse, will also likely face questions on this remarkable-for-so-many-reasons essay that ran across the Sun news chain this morning, which alleges that his former deputy chief of staff, Patrick Muttart, attempted to plant, via his former PMO colleague Kory Teneycke, now Quebecor's vice-president of business development, a photo that purported to show Liberal Leader Michael Igntieff quite literally on the front lines of the Iraq war in 2002.

Yeah, that one left some of us scratching our head as well -- particularly the suggestion that the endeavour was a deliberate attempt by the Conservative Party to kill the credibility of Quebecor's nascent all-news channel. I've sent a query to the Conservative War Room asking whether Muttart has any role within the current campaign - formal or informal, paid or unpaid -- and whether they were aware of his alleged dealings with SunTV. I'll let you know what I hear back! (Last response, an hour or so ago, was "Checking".)

UPDATE: And here's that response from the Conservative War Room: 

The campaign provided Sun Media with information that had been acquired during Internet research, namely a photograph described as that of Mr. Ignatieff. The campaign made clear to Sun Media that the identity in the photograph could not be verified and that our own efforts to verify the photograph had been exhausted. Sun Media informed us that it would conduct its own verification and due diligence. Sun Media concluded that the identity could not be verified. The Sun made the right decision.

Case closed? Oh, somehow I doubt that - but let's watch and see how the day unfolds, shall we? 

UPDATE: Statement from Mercury LLC, released on Canada Newswire April 27, 2011:

Statement From Mercury LLC in Response to a Column by Pierre-Karl Peladeau

NEW YORK, April 27, 2011 /CNW/ -- Opposition research is a fundamental and essential element of every successful political campaign and the practice of campaigns sharing opposition research with journalists and media organizations is common the world over. Ultimately journalists and media organizations conduct their own research and make their own decisions about what to cover and what not to cover.

Initially, Patrick Muttart provided Sun Media with multi-point verbal overviews concerning Michael Ignatieff and the War in Iraq. Later, he provided additional material at Sun Media's request. Sun Media used much of the information he provided. At no point did Muttart tell Sun Media that he had positively identified Ignatieff in the photo in question. And at no time did Muttart mislead, or intend to mislead Sun Media, in his provision of information to them.

The most disappointing assertion in Mr. Peladeau's column is his "belief" that Muttart sought to "damage the integrity and credibility of Sun Media and, more pointedly, that of our new television operation, Sun News."

This assertion is false and downright bizarre.

For the record, Mercury was hired by Quebecor to assist Sun News with its pre-license branding and positioning. Muttart worked with a creative agency to develop the network's original logo (a modified version is currently in use). And he was the original source for the network's "hard news" and "straight talk" framing language. Even after Mercury's engagement with Sun News came to an end, Muttart was asked for and provided pro bono feedback on the network's graphics and on-air promotional spots. Muttart was so committed to the success of Sun News he proactively reached out to a number of current, former and prospective clients about advertising on Sun News and facilitated a number of introductions. Again, he did this pro bono as a supporter of Sun News.

All things considered, it is ironic indeed that Sun Media has chosen to attack Patrick Muttart.