Dean Del Mastro sentencing postponed as he changes lawyers
Former parliamentary secretary to prime minister faces up to three years behind bars
The sentencing hearing for Dean Del Mastro has been postponed until January after he changed lawyers, his new Toronto-based lawyer told CBC News.
Leo Adler says Del Mastro has hired him ahead of the sentencing hearing that was supposed to be held Friday. The new hearing will be Jan. 27, 2015.
Del Mastro had been represented by Jeffrey Ayotte, a lawyer based in Peterborough, Ont., the city where Del Mastro was elected in 2006, 2008 and 2011.
A biography on Adler's website says he did his undergraduate degree at McGill University before law school at Osgoode Hall in Toronto. He practises primarily criminal law.
Del Mastro was found guilty Oct. 31 of spending too much on his 2008 election campaign, donating too much to his campaign and turning in a false document to cover it up. His official agent, Richard McCarthy, was found guilty of spending too much on the campaign and turning in a false document to cover it up.
Del Mastro faces up to three years in prison and up to a $6,000 fine.
Del Mastro had said he wanted to file a motion to reopen his defence, arguing there is fresh evidence that Elections Canada didn't turn over in time for the trial. In a Nov. 3 news release, Del Mastro said his lawyers would bring the application immediately. But as of late last week, neither the Peterborough, Ont., court where his case was heard, nor the Lindsay, Ont., court where the verdict was delivered, had any record of such an application.
Del Mastro resigned his seat in the House just hours before MPs were to debate whether to expel him.
The Canada Elections Act blocks those convicted of breaking election rules from sitting in the House or running for a federal seat for five years after conviction.