Military police are investigating the relationship between a civilian employee and an Ottawa murder victim with ties to organized crime.

CTV Ottawa has learned that Joey Medaglia has secret security clearance and has worked for the commander of Canada's navy since 2009.

At the same time, he's maintained a close friendship with Graham Thomas, a convicted drug dealer with strong ties to the Hell's Angels and Montreal crime families who was gunned down in an east Ottawa shopping mall Oct. 26.

Sources say Medaglia had the second-highest level of clearance possible and had access to highly sensitive documents coming in and out of the admiral's office.

The Department of National Defence said they don't know the extent of the pair's relationship and how much Medaglia knew of Thomas' past, but at this level of clearance those details don't matter.

"Immediately after being made aware of a possible association between Mr. Joey Medaglia and Mr. Graham Thomas, the commander Royal Canadian Navy, Vice-Admiral Paul Maddison . . . asked that the situation be investigated," a spokesperson said in a statement.

Medaglia spoke at Thomas' funeral last week and was the godfather of his children.

Senator Colin Kenny said the military has a responsibility to investigate.

"He absolutely had access to a great deal of classified information, my understanding is he saw virtually everything coming into Vice-Admiral Maddison's office," he said. "That being said, we have no reason to believe that he misused it."

Medaglia has been on compassionate leave since Thomas' death.

He returned to work Monday with a different job description, no longer working for the head of the navy or allowed access to secret documents until the investigation is finished.

With a report from CTV Ottawa's Catherine Lathem