'We ran our own campaign,' says Conservative candidate

A candidate for the Conservatives in the 2006 federal election says he can't understand why his riding was mentioned in an affidavit from Elections Canada about federal campaign spending.

'I'm kind of surprised why Cardigan would even be mentioned.'— Conservative candidate Don Gillis

Cardigan is one of three P.E.I. ridings mentioned in the massive affidavit, which alleges the Conservatives skirted campaign spending laws, spending $1 million more than they were allowed to on advertising. Elections Canada claims the party did this by sending money to local campaign offices and then taking that money back.

Conservatives say what they did was legal, and a common practice among all parties.

Cardigan candidate Don Gillis recalls his campaign team was told that this could be done, but he told CBC News Tuesday there was no pressure to participate, and his team decided against it.

"It only came up once and the idea was just dropped," said Gillis, who added he was surprised to learn Cardigan was in the affidavit.

"We didn't do any of the advertising like that. We ran our own campaign and we didn't receive transfers to put any of the so-called advertising in that was from Ottawa. So I'm kind of surprised why Cardigan would even be mentioned."

Gillis said it's legal to transfer money from a local association to Ottawa, but his campaign team chose not to do that.

The 570-page affidavit made public Monday includes an invoice to the Cardigan campaign for more than $7,500. The affidavit also mentions two other P.E.I. ridings: Malpeque and Egmont.

The allegations in the affidavit by Elections Canada have not been tested in court.