Judge acquits Liberals in Election Act bribery case

Two Ontario Liberals were acquitted of Election Act bribery charges Tuesday in a case the party and one of the defendants suggested was only brought to trial because of political motivations.

The judge hearing the case granted a directed verdict application from the defence that called for the charges to be tossed before any defence witnesses were called. Based on the Crown’s evidence alone, no reasonable jury could convict the pair on trial, the judge concluded.

The ruling means the case has been dismissed against Pat Sorbara, who was Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne’s deputy chief of staff and Liberal campaign director, and local Liberal fundraiser Gerry Lougheed.

The pair were accused of offering would-be candidate Andrew Olivier a job or appointment to step aside for Wynne’s preferred candidate in a 2015 byelection in Sudbury.

The judge found Olivier never could have been the candidate because Wynne had already decided to appoint Glenn Thibeault — then the NDP MP and now the energy minister.

“There never was going to be a contested nomination in which Olivier could become the candidate. The applicants could not induce someone to refrain from becoming something he could never become.”

The case was a politically charged one from the start.

It even led the premier to move to sue Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown for defamation for saying she was personally on trial.