Contributions made to Bob Rae’s failed bid to take over the leadership of the federal Liberal party in 2006 appear to have helped the RCMP connect the dots in part of their continuing investigation into alleged corruption of Canada Revenue Agency employees.
Documents filed in connection with Project Cloche describe how the RCMP came to believe that Delvex Consulting Group, a LaSalle-based firm that advises companies on how to apply for research and development tax credits, is secretly owned by five men, including Francesco Bruno, 50, of Laval, head of a construction company who pleaded guilty to tax evasion in February, and three CRA employees who were fired in 2009 and 2010.
The documents “do not allege any wrongdoing on Rae’s part”. He was just the leadership hopeful they gave $10,000 to.
I’m in an interesting back and forth with warren Kinsella over on his blog where he’s claiming that the fracas between the CPC and elections Canada is far worse than adscam was. I mention that because I think there is a breaking scandal looming with the Quebec LP and the construction unions and some others that it seems to me – understanding how closely tied the lpc is to the LPQ will inevitably lead right to the very top of the lpc as well. And that this is a decades-long story of corruption that may lead to a lot of old names from adscam coming up in the news again. Perhaps the news above is the beginning of the dam breaking…
From the story:
“political contributions made to (bob rae) in November 2006 led investigators to suspect who the owners of Delvex are.”
Why would political donations to an LPC leadership candidate give them cause to suspect anything?
possibly because of contribution limits?
or the lack thereof for leadership races?
did the contribution break the LPC rules?
did someone “leak” that tidbit?
“The documents “do not allege any wrongdoing on Rae’s part”
If so it is the exception to the established MO in political “gifts”. The gift usually always comes with a request.
Gord – I understood that the political contributions were just a step on the way to finding out who the owners were – that they gave 2000 each on the same day to the same party makes it really easy to figure out who the people were based on the fact that a political donation will usually carry both names (plus a SIN number). The fact that there wouldn’t have been too many donations in that amount at that time would fit all the pieces together.
Kate’s headline says, “The Libranos Decline Comment”.
Let me fix that for you, Kate.
“The Libranos Decline”.
Gord Tulk:
“I’m in an interesting back and forth with warren Kinsella…” Heh?
Anyway … why would anyone be surprised that any investigation into the LPC would turn up shady connections?
The LPC is in my opinion a criminal organization and any thorough invstigation would prove this.