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TORONTO-

There is a prima facie case that two Ontario Liberals violated the Elections Act in the Sudbury byelection job bribery scandal, Chief Electoral Officer Greg Essensa says in an explosive report released Thursday.

Essensa has now officially turned the matter over to the provinces Attorney General for further investigation by justice officials.

Having reviewed the evidence and findings from this regulatory investigation, I am of the opinion that the actions of Gerry Lougheed Jr. and Patricia Sorbara amount to apparent contraventions of subsection 96.1(e) of the Election Act, Essensas report says. Consequently, I have reported this matter to the Attorney General of Ontario in accordance with section 4.0.2 of the Election Act.

The Chief Electoral Officer launched an investigation after receiving opposition party complaints that Sorbara and Lougheed offered Sudbury Liberal candidate Andrew Olivier a job or appointment to abandon his run for the byelection nomination to make way for their preferred candidate, federal NDP MP Glenn Thibeault, in contravention of the Election Act.

Essensa said he is satisfied that there is more than a fair probability that the law was broken, and so proceeded with the unprecedented action.

No Chief Electoral Officer of Ontario has ever conducted a regulatory investigation into allegations of bribery or ever reported an apparent contravention of the home statues of my office to the Attorney General, Essensa said in his report.

PC MPP Steve Clark immediately asked Premier Kathleen Wynne to demand Sorbara step aside as the premiers deputy chief of staff, and that Lougheed be removed from the Sudbury police board.

If you stand with these two, youre going to fall with these two, Clark told Wynne during Question Period.

Wynne, who was cleared by Essensas investigation of any Elections Act violation, said she would not remove Sorbara from her position.

See the original post:
Wynne's Liberals broke law: Election chief