Tories deny knowledge of case
CALGARY – The top echelon of the Tory government said Friday it had no knowledge of a case that saw the University of Calgary indirectly donate money to the Progressive Conservatives.
But opposition parties alleged the situation was not an isolated incident, and called for a major overhaul of election legislation and new measures to crack down on similar cases.
On Friday, the University of Calgary issued a news release stating an internal investigation into political donations had revealed the possibility of nearly $10,000 in indirect political contributions between 2004 and 2008 and the matter had been referred to Elections Alberta in February.
Documents released to the Herald in response to a freedom of information request reveal a 2008 email to the university’s counsel from lawyer Joe Lougheed — who had been retained to provide government relations advice to the university — seeking reimbursement for $4,500 for tickets to a premier’s dinner.
In the email, Lougheed noted the institution was precluded by law from a political donation and said the practice for a couple of years had been for his firm — Fraser Miller Casgrain — to buy tickets for the university and charge an equivalent amount back to U of C.
The practice was ended when the university’s new in-house lawyer responded to Lougheed by saying it was “illegal and unacceptable.”
Liberal MLA Laurie Blakeman said Friday the case was indicative of a “culture of old boys, insider dealings.”
The case came to light after months of controversy over alleged illegal donations to the long-governing Tories from “prohibited corporations” such as municipalities, school and post-secondary institutions. Since last fall, 79 files have been opened by Alberta’s chief electoral officer but Brian Fjeldheim has said by law he can provide no details on the 41 cases that so far have shown questionable donations.
“There is no way this is isolated,” said Wildrose MLA Rob Anderson about the U of C situation. “(PC) operatives have found ways to circumvent the system. Their tentacles are in every organization, every government organization, every quasi-governmental organization, like universities and so forth.”
Anderson noted Mount Royal University also just revealed it had donated nearly $4,000 to the Tory party and its constituency associations between 2004 and 2010.
But deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk — echoing comments from the office of Premier Alison Redford — said he had no knowledge of the case involving Joe Lougheed and the government played no role in the timing around the release of information by the University of Calgary.