Mike Duffy trial: Who is Benjamin Perrin?

Benjamin Perrin, aformer lawyer for thePrime Minister's Office, gave testimony in court Thursday contradictingthe Conservative narrative that the person closest toStephen Harperdid not know of NigelWright's $90,000 payment to Senator Mike Duffy.

Perrintestified thatRayNovak, Harper's current chief of staff, was in the same roomasHarper's former chief of staff when Wrightmade it known he would use his own funds to repayDuffy's ineligible senate expenses in March 2013.

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Duffyhas pleaded not guilty to 31 charges of fraud, breach of trust and bribery related toexpenses he claimed in 2013 as a senator and later repaid with money from Wright.

Harper has maintained he was not told of Wright's decision to personally repay Duffy's expenses, andrepeatedly saidthe two individuals responsible Duffy and Wright are being held accountable.

Accomplished lawyer

Perrin, 36, isan accomplished lawyer and a life-long Conservative. In 2013, he served as Harper'slegal counsel.His job was tostay at arm's length, enough tooffer a dissenting opinion.

Veteran journalist Dan Lger, who has authored Duffy:Stardom to Senate to Scandal, a book about Duffy'srise and fall, has been keeping a close eye on the Senate expenses scandal and the senator'scriminal trial.

"If Perrin is calling it like he sees it, then fair enough, that's what the courts are for," Lger said in an interview with CBC News.

Perrin, whoseConservative roots run deep,was 22 years old whentheCanadian Alliance picked Harper asits new leaderin 2002.

"I think we can move forward with Stephen Harper as leader andI'm confident in his policies and thedirection we'll beheading in," a young Perrin said.

Harper merged the Alliance with the Progressive Conservatives, and in 2006 Harper's Conservativeswere elected to government.

Honoured by U.S.

Perrinwent to law school earning a Master of Laws (with honours) from McGill University in 2007. He is alsoan internationally recognized authority on humantrafficking. He was honoured for his work by the U.S.State Department in 2009 while pushing for tougher laws in Canada.

"We're calling on a federal action plan that works to prosecute human traffickers more effectively," Perrin said at the time.

In 2012, when the Harper government was reworking Canada's prostitution laws, his advocacy and party ties brought Perrin back into the Prime Minister's Office.

Workingunder Wright, he didn't have a direct line into the prime minister, but on issues such as Duffy's Senate expenses, Perrin spoke his mind.

'Difference of opinion'

"Let's just say that there was adifference ofopinion, and thatPerrinwas evidently one of the veryfew people who was willing to express that,"Lger said.

Perrin did a legal review of the agreementWright struck with Duffy. But after thecheque was signed, Perrinabruptlyleft the PMO citing family issues.

He has since returned to the University of British Columbia where he works as an associate professor at thePeter A. Allard School of Law.

Perrin's testimony in court was consistent with the deposition he gave to the RCMPbefore they laid charges against Duffy.

"He doesn't depend anymore on Stephen Harper for his livelihood," Lger said.