Senate ethics watchdog asked to probe role of Tory fundraiser Gerstein | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
Subscribe

Would you like to subscribe to our newsletter?

Senate ethics watchdog asked to probe role of Tory fundraiser Gerstein

Conservative Senator Mike Duffy leaves Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, Thursday June 6, 2013.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand

OTTAWA - The Senate's ethics officer is being asked to investigate the role of the Conservative party's chief fundraiser in the alleged cover-up of Sen. Mike Duffy's dubious expense claims.

Liberal Sen. Celine Hervieux-Payette has written Lyse Ricard, asking her to look into the role played by Conservative Sen. Irving Gerstein, the party's self-described bagman.

Gerstein allegedly agreed to cover Duffy's disputed living expenses from party funds; but he balked when the tab rose to more than $90,000 — a sum paid ultimately by Prime Minister Stephen Harper's then chief of staff, Nigel Wright.

Gerstein did dip into the Tory till to reimburse Duffy for $13,000 in legal fees.

At Wright's behest, Gerstein also allegedly contacted Deloitte managing partner Michael Runia in a bid to shape the outcome of an audit of Duffy's expense claims.

Hervieux-Payette says interfering in the work of a Senate committee, which ordered the audit, in order to promote the financial interests of another senator is a violation of the upper house's conflict of interest code.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2013
The Canadian Press

  • Popular vernon News
View Site in: Desktop | Mobile