Parliamentarians on this committee — MPs and senators alike — are privy to the nation's most guarded secrets as they review the work of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), the Communications Security Establishment, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canada Border Services Agency.

Scheer said he would leave it to national security agencies to determine if Clement has been compromised as a result of this sexting scandal.

"I will leave it to them. Those are the experts," Scheer said.

Other members of the committee were tight-lipped today about what Clement's sexting dilemma might mean for the reputation of the committee. The Liberal chair, Ontario MP David McGuinty, did not respond to a request for comment.

Liberal Quebec MP Emmanuel Dubourg, another committee member, said people chosen for a position on the committee must go through the most thorough of security clearances.

"In that context, I can't say much about the situation. I can't say anything more," Dubourg said in French, adding that he was concerned.

Rennie Marcoux, the director of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, said that because the matter is under investigation, there isn't much the committee can say about it.

Marcoux said all members had to obtain a top secret security clearance from the government before being appointed to the committee. They also had to swear an oath of loyalty and secrecy, Marcoux said in a statement to CBC News.

Trudeau has no comment

Sources told CBC News Clement flagged the alleged extortion attempt a few days ago to the Privy Council Office — the branch of the bureaucracy that supports the prime minister and cabinet — and the special national security committee. The precise timeline of events was not immediately clear.

Unlike other parliamentary committees that have to report to the House of Commons, this joint committee would respond directly to the prime minister. Trudeau told reporters Wednesday he had no comment on Clement.

On Tuesday night, Clement sent out a statement saying he shared sexually explicit images and a video of himself with someone he believed was a consenting female. Clement said he had shared the images "over the last three weeks."

"The recipient was, in fact, an individual or party who targeted me for the purpose of financial extortion," he wrote.

Sources told CBC News that the would-be extortionist asked Clement to pay €50,000 ($75,200 Cdn) or risk seeing the images and video released publicly.
"The RCMP are currently investigating the matter to determine the identity of the party responsible for the extortion attempt," Clement said.

Earlier today, Scheer did not answer questions about whether Clement can run under the Conservative banner in 2019.

"I don't have anything further to add to that dynamic, or to anything about … internal caucus matters, but I think we can all agree that this was a very poor decision," he told reporters Wednesday.

When asked if Conservative leadership has warned other Tory MPs against this sort of behaviour, Scheer said he shouldn't have to remind elected officials to refrain from obviously inappropriate conduct.

"I don't know that too many people would have to be told not to share explicit images and videos with people that you haven't met, but obviously this is a terrible decision."

The Parry Sound-Muskoka MP was first elected to the House of Commons in 2006 after making the jump from provincial politics. Stephen Harper picked Clement for a number of senior cabinet positions in his government, including president of the Treasury Board and minister of industry.

The U.K.-born Clement was elected to Queen's Park in 1995. He held a number of cabinet portfolios under former Ontario premier Mike Harris, including minister of health, before the ruling PCs were voted out of office in 2003.

In 2004, he placed third in the leadership race, ultimately placing behind Harper and auto parts mogul Belinda Stronach.

He dropped out of the 2016 leadership race after three short months, having failed to raise enough money to continue his efforts.

Bernier, now the leader of the People's Party of Canada which he founded in September, reacted to the candidature on Twitter earlier this week, saying he wasn't surprised Scheer has chosen a dairy producer to face him. Bernier has taken a prominent stance against supply management.

He again took to Twitter Saturday morning, criticizing Scheer and his "dairy cartel candidate."

In the tweet, he says he hopes Scheer will explain why the people of Beauce must keep paying hundreds of dollars more per year "to maintain a socialist system."