The value of untendered contracts handed out by eHealth Ontario is nearly double what was previously reported, with the bulk going to a firm with ties to the Liberal government.

The CEO and chair of the provincial agency both resigned in June after it was learned eHealth had given out about $5 million in consulting contracts without competitive bidding.

However, eHealth has now confirmed that one of those consultants, Courtyard Group, secured another contract in April worth $8.5 million — about half of which was untendered.

EHealth spokeswoman Deanna Allen said some of the Courtyard contract involved work at the Ministry of Health and at the precursor to eHealth that was merged into the new agency.

Premier Dalton McGuinty has apologized for the spending and expense abuse scandal at eHealth, and changed procurement rules for all ministries and agencies to require competitive bidding.

The New Democrats want the provincial auditor general to investigate links between Courtyard and the Liberal government, noting that one of its founders, John Ronson, was chair of the Liberals' 1995 election campaign.

EHealth Ontario was set up last September to replace another provincial agency that had spent $650 million trying to create electronic health records but produced virtually nothing of value.