Thursday, January 23, 2014

Elections Canada and Legal Immunity

 Here it is!
Elections Canada has rebuffed an offer of information about an alleged reimbursement scheme involving Conservative MP Dean Del Mastro’s 2008 election campaign, saying it doesn’t have the authority to give witnesses immunity from prosecution.
Toronto lawyer Allan Kaufman wrote to Elections Canada in June, offering details of reimbursements of campaign donations allegedly paid by Deltro Electric Ltd., a small Mississauga contractor owned by Del Mastro’s cousin, David.
In exchange, Kaufman requested immunity for a group of donors who had each given $1,000 to Del Mastro’s campaign, allegedly receiving $1050 for each donation, plus a tax rebate, to allow David Del Mastro to secretly donate thousands of dollars to his cousin, exceeding the legal limit — a charge he denies.
But the agency has balked at the offer, telling Kaufman it can only investigate allegations of electoral misconduct and that the power to offer immunity he requested rests with federal prosecutors.
I wondered why it sounded strange that Elections Canada was subsequently able to grant immunity from prosecution to harpercon stooge Andrew Prescott.
A key player in the 2011 Guelph robocalls scandal is getting immunity from prosecution in the Elections Canada investigation into misleading calls in the last federal election, CBC News has learned.
Andrew Prescott was the Conservatives' deputy campaign manager in Guelph, Ont., where supporters of other candidates complained they received misleading phone calls directing them to the wrong polling station.
Prescott has a written guarantee "the Crown has no intention" of charging him in connection with the misleading phone calls, according to a source close to the case.
Go figure 'eh? You'd think the agency either has this power, or it doesn't. Not that the agency can pick and choose when it is so empowered. I'd ask them about it, but I've gotten such bureaucratic ass-covering drivel in response to past inquiries about other matters that I really can't be bothered.

2 comments:

Alison said...

I sent your very excellent question on to Democracy Watch. If I get a reply I'll let you know.

thwap said...

Thanks Alison!