“Freedom Convoy” organizers charted a private flight to Ottawa to bring in unvaccinated lawyers to give them advice during the protest that gridlocked streets near Parliament Hill last winter.

Lawyer Keith Wilson says he was doing other work for the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms when they asked if he would help lead a team to provide legal support to convoy organizers.

Thousands of big-rigs and protesters had already been in Ottawa for five days, blocking roads and honking horns, when Wilson arrived with a team on Feb. 2.

He says the flight was not a luxurious experience, and it was chartered because some of those on board would not have been allowed to take a commercial flight under the COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

He is unsure who paid for the flight, but says he believes the funds came from donations to the “adopt-a-trucker” fundraiser.

The next day he appeared at a press conference where he declared Tamara Lich the leader of the organization behind the protest.