Minister ‘sought’ benefits: prosecutor

SUDBURY, ONT. • A former MP, who is now Ontario’s energy minister, allegedly “sought certain benefits” to run in a provincial byelection, a Crown lawyer prosecuting two Ontario Liberals on Election Act bribery charges said Monday.

But while the two Liberals, including Premier Kathleen Wynne’s former deputy chief of staff, face bribery counts under the act, Energy Minister Glenn Thibeault does not.

“The section makes it an offence to offer, not necessarily to receive (a bribe),” said federal prosecutor Vern Brewer.

Thibeault’s lawyer said the Crown was sullying Thibeault’s reputation and said the prosecutor’s comments were wrong.

The charges against the two provincial Liberals — Pat Sorbara and Liberal operative 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 for the premier’s preferred candidate.

That preferred 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 is over an allegation she promised to get Thibeault “an office or employment” to induce him to become a candidate.

After Sorbara and Lougheed’s first court appearance Monday, Brewer expanded on the allegation as it relates to Thibeault.

“The allegation in respect to that count relates to our allegation that Mr. Thibeault sought certain benefits, offers or job or employment as part of his conditions to run as (an) MPP,” he said.

Thibeault’s lawyer slammed the comment as “factually incorrect” and “supremely frustrating.”

“The prosecutor chose to make his remarks outside of court to reporters instead of respecting the sub-judice rule, which recognizes the impropriety of out-of-court comment on a prosecution which is before the courts,” Ian Smith wrote in a statement.

“The Crown has chosen to sully Mr. Thibeault’s reputation without ever naming him as the target of its investigations, without ever charging him, and, most importantly, knowing that he will have no trial where he could mount a proper defence.”

Thibeault will “consider all of his legal options” over the remarks that are “disgraceful and ill-considered” and will likely cause him “serious reputational damage,” Smith wrote.

Ontario’s opposition parties called for Thibeault to step aside after it was revealed that one of Sorbara’s charges related to an offer allegedly made to him. Thibeault has refused, since he isn’t under investigation and faces no charges.

Brewer noted, “It’s the first prosecution we’re aware of under this section and there are significant and complex legal issues.”