 John Starnes (RCMP), head of the RCMP Security Service, claimed that the purpose of this operation was to investigate allegations that the PQ had funneled $200,000 worth of donations through a Swiss banking account.A series of more than 400 illegal break-ins by the RCMP were revealed by Vancouver Sun reporter John Sawatsky in his front-page exposé headline ""Trail of break-in leads to RCMP cover-up"" on December 7, 1976.The story won the Vancouver Sun the Michener Award that year.