Gerry Lougheed, Pat Sorbara charged in Sudbury byelection scandal
Prominent Liberals allegedly tried to bribe candidate ahead of 2015 vote
A prominent campaign manager with the Ontario Liberals and a Sudbury, Ont., businessman were charged today under the Elections Act in connection to alleged bribery in a 2015 byelection.
It's alleged Gerry Lougheed and Liberal insider Pat Sorbara offered a job or appointment to former Liberal candidate Andrew Olivier in exchange for stepping aside before a provincial byelection in Sudbury.
Thibeault represented the provincial riding for the NDP from 2008-15, but left the party to run as a Liberal when a byelection was called after the sudden resignation of New Democrat Joe Cimino.
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Sorbara, 60, recently took a leave of absence as Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne's deputy chief of staff to become party CEO and 2018 campaign director. Wynne said on Tuesday Sorbara would step down if charges were laid.
Lougheed, a prominent local Liberal and fundraiser, was criminally charged last year, but those charges were stayed in April.
That gave the Crown up to one year to either drop the case or proceed.
Both are expected to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Sudbury on Nov. 21.
With files from Erik White