Threats, harassment and intimidation to the point that she fears for her safety — those are the allegations the former CEO of Alberta Health Services, Athana Mentzelopoulos, is making against two podcasters she says she’s never met, but alleges are part of a targeted campaign to convince her to drop her wrongful dismissal suit against AHS and the Alberta government.

Menzelopoulos is suing for $1.7 million, accusing the health agency and the government of wrongfully terminating her contract in January 2024 after she began investigating allegations of sweetheart deals and high-level political interference in government procurement contracts for goods and services worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

AHS and the provincial government have denied any wrongdoing and have filed a counter-claim alleging Mentzelopoulos was fired for poor job performance.

In court Monday, Mentzelopoulos’ lawyer, Brett Code, said the podcasters, James Di Fiore and David Wallace, have mentioned his client directly in their podcasts more than 300 times — saying things that threatened, ridiculed and dehumanized her.

Code told the court the comments, including “I’m coming for you,” that Wallace was going to her house with a shovel, that there was a $100,000 bounty for any criminal information about Mentzelopoulos and hers would be the next photo of a person on a milk carton (in reference to the photos of missing people sometimes being put on milk cartons) have made Mentzelopoulos fear for her security to the point police are taking steps to ensure her safety.

Code is asking that DiFiore and Wallace be found in contempt of court, claiming their actions are a direct attempt to dissuade Mentzelopoulos from continuing with her lawsuit.

He’s also asking for a restraining order, preventing the podcasters from contacting Mentzelopoulos, approaching or talking about her and he wants the previous podcasts allegedly targeting his client taken down.

Code told court the podcasters have made reference to working for governments, so he’s also requesting the release of the names of everyone who has supported them and has financially backed them.

The defendants’ lawyer, Craig Alcock, told the court a connection to anyone involved in the wrongful termination lawsuit hasn’t been proven and he claims his clients’ comments haven’t been an attempt to intimidate Menzelopoulos, telling court, “It’s not contemptuous to say mean things on a podcast.”

The judge is expected to provide a decision within a week.