Tories plead guilty in campaign financing case

[CHIMO]

OTTAWA—Canada’s governing Conservative party has admitted to illegal campaign advertising tactics in the 2006 campaign that brought Stephen Harper to power.

The Conservative Party of Canada and its fundraising arm, the Conservative Fund of Canada, were fined $52,000 after pleading guilty to exceeding national advertising spending limits and improperly reporting the expenses incurred through a sophisticated “in-and-out” scheme.

Under it, Harper’s party shifted national advertising money, through wire transfers into and immediately out of local riding campaign accounts, in order to claim national ad spending as local. In the words of national campaign director Doug Finley, it would “run a major slam dunk” over competitors in the final weeks of the campaign.

Liberal Leader Bob Rae called it “an accounting scam” that arguably helped to “buy them the election.” NDP interim Leader Nycole Turmel demanded Harper apologize to Canadians and “explain himself.”

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1084776--tories-plead-guilty-in-campaign-financing-case?bn=1

Conservative Party fined for breaking election laws
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/11/10/pol-conservative-election-in-and-out.html
Nov 10, 2011 7:08 PM ET


Conservative senators avoid charges in Elections Canada plea deal
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/conservative-senators-avoid-charges-in-elections-canada-plea-deal/article2232120/