Heather Wright/The Independent

Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong MP Marilyn Gladu is calling out the OPP after failing to charge a man who released her home address online.

Gladu has been subject to public ridicule and harassment online, attacks at her Sarnia constituency office and threats to her staff as well as personal death threat after the long-time Conservative MP decided to join the Carney Liberal government April 8.

By late April, the House of Commons Sergent at Arms had assigned an armed security detail to Gladu in the wake of the threats.
Then, a month after her resignation, there was a new, more personal threat; her home address had been posted on Facebook three separate times in a practice known as doxing.

Gladu says she became aware of it in a very roundabout way; “Dela (Horley) from my office told me that her hairdresser’s mother, she told her that somebody had released my personal address on Facebook. I went, ‘Not the one I just moved to?’ She said, ‘yeah.’”

Gladu made contact with the RCMP who had the posts, which started appearing April 20, taken down immediately.
They also told her to go to the OPP and make a statement. She did on May 12.

Armed with information from the RCMP including the individuals name, Gladu went to the Strathroy OPP and made a statement. The RCMP expected the person would face charges of criminal harassment.

But Gladu says the officer didn’t seem to have a sense of urgency about the issue. “The officer said, well, you know, I’ve got a lot going on this week. It may be Thursday that I’ll have an opportunity to follow up on this,” says Gladu.

“When I tried to get an update, she came back and said that they had consulted with the Queen’s Council and decided that they weren’t going to charge the guy, and they weren’t going to caution the guy, because he only did it three times, and he never did it before that, and he never did it after that.”

Gladu’s frustration is evident.

“I said that’s a ridiculous argument. That’s like saying they never killed anybody, and then they only killed three people, and then they never killed anybody since. So, we’re not going to charge them,” she tells The Independent.
“It’s illegal. It’s about enforcing the rule of law.”

The RCMP again stepped in, posting around-the-clock security at the MP’s home and also called the OPP about the decision not to warn the suspect. “The RCMP was unhappy with that, and they requested the OPP have a constable sent to his residence to caution him and do a wellness/mental health check.”

Gladu was told Lambton and Strathroy OPP officers did go to the man’s home, which had two Marilyn Resign signs in the front yard, but the man was not home.

It took until May 25 for the OPP to contact the suspect by phone.

The officers texted saying they were looking to speak to him. He sent a text saying “What’s this about? I’m a very busy person,” according to Gladu.

Suspect was informed it was about the release of private information of an MP and called it criminal harassment, said Gladu, referring to notes she received when the OPP closed the case. Officers finally spoke to the suspect May 29, by phone.

Gladu says the OPP said the suspect never offered any information to the officers saying OK each time the officer spoke to him. posting the information or even that “After that, I received the file closure that said they consider the matter closed,” says Gladu.

According to the federal Department of Justice, a number of charges could be laid in circumstances like this including criminal harassment, harassing communications and intimidation.

People who have released politicians personal information online have faced charges across the country, including one man charged after a Manitoba MLA was doxed.

A 2025 study shows threats to politicians from all parties have risen nearly 800 per cent over the last five years.

“I’m not the only politician that’s experiencing this,” says Gladu. “I would say it’s happening across the gamut of all the federal politicians, and with provincial politicians who receive similar (harassment.)

“We’ve seen what’s happening with the municipal elections in Sarnia. Janice McMichael Dennis has shared on Facebook some what she’s been the butt of, and she’s not even running.”

Gladu adds Industry Minister Melanie Joly has also had her home address released, prompting round the clock security.
“The other floor crossers have had to have 24/7 security at their place for months,” she added.

A quick scan of Facebook by The Independent found at least one floor-crosser’s address still posted with the veiled threat wondering whether the MP deserved some visitors.

The Independent contacted three different OPP communications officers multiple times asking for an interview on the investigation and asking why the OPP decided not to lay charges. One responded saying he no longer was in media relations. The other two did not respond at all.

Gladu says the OPP’s lack of action, when other departments like Sarnia Police respond quickly and efficiently when she called about threats and harassment, is frustrating.

“It sends the wrong message. It says, yeah, you can do something illegal that may harm somebody, and you know, there’s no consequence to you,” she says.

“I’m really concerned that this puts a chill on anyone wanting to go into public life.

“My interest here is not a sympathy play. My interest is who else will want to go into politics if this is what it’s like and your life is at stake.”