Next court date set for Liberal bribery trial

Two Ontario Liberals facing Election Act bribery charges could go to trial this summer in Sudbury.

Lawyers for Pat Sorbara, the premier's former deputy chief of staff, and Liberal fundraiser Gerry Lougheed briefly appeared in court today and set the next date for Feb. 8.

On that day they're expected to set a date for trial, with the parties eyeing dates in the summer.

The charges 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 for Glenn Thibeault, who was then a New Democrat MP — and is now the energy minister.

Sorbara and Lougheed both deny the charges.

One of the two charges against Sorbara alleges she promised to get Thibeault "an office or employment" to induce him to become a candidate.

The federal prosecutor on the case said outside court in Sudbury in November that Thibeault "sought certain benefits" to run for the provincial Liberals, noting the Election Act makes it an offence to offer, not necessarily to receive a bribe.

Thibeault vehemently denied the allegation and got his lawyer involved. The Crown attorney said last month that he never meant to imply any wrongdoing by Thibeault.

Sorbara took a leave of absence from her job as Wynne's deputy chief of staff to become the Ontario Liberals' CEO and 2018 campaign director — posts she resigned from when the charges were laid.