Gerry Lougheed to remain police board chair during OPP probe

The Greater Sudbury Police Services Board has voted to keep Gerry Lougheed Jr. as its chair while provincial police investigate allegations of bribery by the Liberal party.

Four members of the public requested the long-time Sudbury Liberal supporter and fundraiser step down from his police services board position in the wake of claims by former Liberal candidate Andrew Olivier.

Olivier states he was offered a job to step aside to make way for Glenn Thibeault to run as a Liberal in the recent Sudbury provincial byelection.

But the board voted at its Wednesday meeting to keep Lougheed in place during the investigation. 

The Liberals deny allegations they broke the law in the lead-up to Sudbury's recent byelection.

"We've been clear that the authorities have our full co-operation, and we are confident that after Premier Wynne and Pat Sorbara meet with the investigators, they will reach the same conclusion," Wynne's spokeswoman, Zita Astravas, said Monday in an email.

• Kathleen Wynne to meet with OPP over byelection corruption allegations
• Sudbury byelection: Wynne and Thibeault won, but can they win over the OPP?

Wynne appointed former NDP MP Glenn Thibeault, who won the byelection, instead of holding a nomination.

The spurned candidate, Olivier, is a quadriplegic and records many conversations because he can't take notes, so he has put the audio of his talks with Lougheed and Pat Sorbara — the premier's deputy chief of staff — online, saying they back up his claims.

Provincial police state they believe two Liberals broke the law, according to a police document sworn before a judge to get a production order for evidence. The police allegations have not been tested in court, and no charges have been laid.

The premier will not be asking Sorbara to leave her post, Astravas has said. Wynne has maintained no specific offer was made to Olivier, saying they were trying to keep him active in the party after Thibeault's appointment was already decided.