The Crown attorney prosecuting two Ontario Liberals facing Election Act bribery charges says Energy Minister Glenn Thibeault is alleged to have "sought certain benefits" to run in a byelection.
The charges against Pat Sorbara and Gerry Lougheed stem from allegations the pair offered a would-be candidate a job or appointment to get him to step aside in a 2015 byelection in Sudbury, Ont., for the premier's preferred candidate.
That candidate was Thibeault, who was then a New Democrat MP for Sudbury, and he ultimately won that byelection for the provincial Liberals.
One of the charges against Sorbara, who recently resigned as the party's CEO and 2018 campaign director, is over an allegation she promised to get Thibeault "an office or employment" to induce him to become a candidate.
Crown attorney Vern Brewer says that charge relates to "an allegation that Mr. Thibeault sought certain benefits, offers or a job or employment as part of his conditions to run as an MPP."
Brewer says the section of the Election Act makes it an offence to offer a bribe, not necessarily to
receive one.
A request made by NEWSTALK 1010 for comment from the Premier's office Monday was answered with a statement by Thibeault's lawyer issued November 1.
Ian R. Smith writes:
"I understand that Ms Sorbara is alleged to have corruptly induced my client to leave his position as a Federal Member of Parliament so that he could run for the provincial Liberals. I want to be clear - Mr Thibeault has advised the investigators in this matter, with whom he has cooperated fully, that no such inducement was made or accepted. The assertions to the contrary are hard to credit.
Mr Thibeault spent years as an MP in opposition faithfully serving the people of Sudbury. His decision to leave that position in the hopes that he could win the byelection and join Premier Wynne's governing Liberals was motivated by nothing other than a desire to serve the constituents of Sudbury more effectively than federal politics had permitted.
To think that he would make that change by reason of some improper inducement is, frankly, absurd. Mr Thibeault wishes Ms Sorbara well in her defence of this matter, which we are confident will be successful."
The New Democrats called for Thibeault's resignation Monday for the "sake of public confidence in the electoral process".
Progressive Conservative leader Patrick Brown was to comment on the developments but a planned meeting with reporters was abruptly cancelled Monday.
with files from Siobhan Morris