MP Del Mastro not told of Elections Canada investigation
Conservative MP reportedly being investigated for spending more than his 2008 campaign limit
By Laura Payton, CBC News
Posted: Jun 6, 2012 9:23 PM ET
Last Updated: Jun 6, 2012 11:33 PM ET
Related
Conservative MP Dean Del Mastro says no one from Elections Canada has contacted him about his 2008 campaign spending, despite a report that the agency is investigating it.
The Ottawa Citizen and the National Post are reporting that Del Mastro, who has been the face of the Conservative Party amid a controversy over misleading election phone calls known as robocalls, is being investigated for going $17,000 over his spending limit in his 2008 campaign to win the seat in Peterborough, Ont.
The report says Elections Canada has filed a production order seeking emails, invoices and other documents from Holinshed Research Group relating to election day work for Del Mastro.
The newspapers also have what appears to be a $21,000 personal cheque from Del Mastro to the company. If the money wasn't repaid from his campaign, it would mean he went over the candidates' personal donation limit of $2,100.
The parliamentary secretary to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Del Mastro says he's done nothing wrong with his election spending. Speaking to Evan Solomon, host of CBC News Network's Power & Politics, Del Mastro said the election agency hasn't been in touch with him about the spending.
"My statements are fully audited, they reflect all expenses related to my campaigns and they're available online. We've always spent within the spending limits. I just want to be clear that if they have any questions, they're welcome to call me," he said.
Campaign expenses audited
The report also said Elections Canada is looking at whether Del Mastro spent more than his total campaign limit. If there was an extra $21,000 invoice paid for by the campaign, it would put him over the $92,566.79 limit. The total expenses filed by the campaign add up to $91,770.80.
The campaign expenses listed online show a $1,575 payment to Holinshed. They also show a number of payments to the riding association, but none to Del Mastro or to his wife.
Del Mastro said any campaign expenses he paid were reimbursed by the campaign or the riding association.
The MP said he has to go over the paperwork for the campaign, which was almost four years ago, to reacquaint himself with the expenses. He said his current official agent, who wasn't his official agent in 2008, got one call from Elections Canada about the invoice but heard nothing further.
Speaking to CBC News after his appearance on Power & Politics, Del Mastro said he absolutely did not overspend in his campaign.
"All I can say is all of the expenses related to the campaign — all of them — have been fully accounted for and those statements have been fully audited and accepted by Elections Canada," he said.
It's not clear what the $21,000 was spent on or how it's accounted for in Del Mastro's election expenses.
Company got federal money
Holinshed owner Frank Hall had brought a small claims lawsuit against Del Mastro, which Del Mastro says was dismissed by a judge two years ago.
The company performed services for Del Mastro's MP office, the Peterborough Conservative riding association, and for Del Mastro's 2008 campaign, he said.
"Those were paid. There is no question as to whether or not they were paid. In fact, Mr. Hall indicated that in his filing on a separate matter."
Holinshed developed a system called GeoVote, which it described as "a focused, customized, web based, interactive data management and display mapping system ... used successfully in municipal, provincial and federal elections since 2003." The company received a $125,000 grant from the federal government as part of the Economic Action Plan in 2009.
Del Mastro said he and Hall had a falling out and he's no longer in touch with Hall. He said he wasn't aware of the federal money for Holinshed.
Hall didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The phone number listed for the Ottawa-based Holinshed is disconnected and the website appears to have been taken down, though Hall still lists it as being in operation on a professional networking website.
Del Mastro's official agent for the 2008 campaign, Richard McCarthy, didn't return a call for comment.
Last November, the Conservative Party was fined $52,000 for breaking election rules in a deal that saw charges dropped against four senior officials, but guilty pleas by the organizations for which they made the decisions, in a case that became known as in-and-out.
The party and its fundraising arm, the Conservative Fund, pleaded guilty to Elections Act charges of incurring election expenses exceeding the maximum allowable and filing election records that didn't set out all expenses. The guilty plea by the party and fund meant more serious charges against the party and its fundraising arm of wilfully breaking the laws were withdrawn.
Charges against Senator Doug Finley, the party's former campaign director, and Senator Irving Gerstein, head of the Conservative Fund and chief fundraiser for the party, were withdrawn, as well as charges against Michael Donison, the former national party director, and Susan Kehoe, who served as the party's interim executive director.
Share Tools
Crisis? What crisis? PM to speak at not-at-all-an-emergency caucus meeting by Kady O'Malley May. 21, 2013 8:32 AM Also today: Senate set to debate now infamous Duffy expense report during special evening session
Top News Headlines
- Oklahoma tornado recovery work begins after deadly storm
- Recovery efforts are underway after a tornado flattened two elementary schools and many homes south of Oklahoma City, leaving 24 people dead, including seven children. U.S. President Barack Obama responds by promising federal aid and other help.
more »
- 'Upset' Harper wants fast Senate spending reform
- Prime Minister Stephen Harper told the Conservative caucus this morning that he's "upset" about the recent conduct of some senators and members of his own office, and he wants Senate spending rules tightened quickly. more »
- Horwath says NDP will support Ontario Liberal budget
- NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says the party will support the Liberal budget, avoiding a spring election. more »
- Keith Boag: Have you heard about the murderous abortion doctor?
- The gruesome trial and murder conviction of Philadelphia abortion provider Dr. Kermit Gosnell is unlikely to change American abortion law, Keith Boag writes. But it has U.S. journalists questioning their priorities and how they cover such a sensitive issue. more »
- Schoolchildren describe Oklahoma tornado terror
- Schoolchildren and their teachers got a sudden lesson in survival after Monday's deadly tornado levelled two schools in Oklahoma City and nearby Moore, Okla. more »
Must Watch
Latest Politics News Headlines
- PM's South America trip turns focus from turmoil to trade
- Prime Minister Stephen Harper heads today to South America for four days of bilateral talks and trade meetings, after addressing his caucus over the growing Senate expense controversy. more »
- EI board appointees made banned donations to Conservatives
- Dozens of people appointed to plum patronage jobs have been donating to the Conservative party, despite government rules that forbid it. more »
- Canadian on EI shut out amid foreign worker influx
- A jobless Canadian IT professional who is collecting employment insurance is upset because he now suspects several recent jobs he applied for went to temporary foreign workers. more »
- NDP wants RCMP inquiry into $90K payment to Duffy
- The NDP has asked the RCMP to launch an investigation into the $90,000 payment from the prime minister's former top aide, Nigel Wright, to Senator Mike Duffy in relation to the Senate expense scandal. more »
The National
The House
- Questions mount for Harper and chief of staff Nigel Wright in Senate scandal May. 18, 2013 1:15 PM This week on The House, with Senators Wallin and Duffy now out of the Conservative caucus, we get reaction from NDP Ethics critic Charlie Angus. We also hear directly from Senator Patrick Brazeau who says the Conservatives have thrown him under the bus. Plus we speak with B.C. Premier Christy Clark after her stunning victory.
- Oklahoma tornado recovery work begins after deadly storm
- 'Upset' Harper wants fast Senate spending reform
- Edmonton driver, 62, charged in boy's patio death
- Microsoft's Xbox revamp: Is the sun setting on game consoles?
- 51 dead after tornado levels Oklahoma suburbs
- Unknown remains found on Dellen Millard's farm
- Will alleged Rob Ford video overshadow Toronto casino debate?
- Harper to address Tory caucus amid Senate scandal
- Keith Boag: Have you heard about the murderous abortion doctor?


