MP’s cousin charged in election donations

OTTAWA • Ontario MP Dean Del Mastro’s cousin was charged on Thursday with violating the Elections Act by funnelling money to the MP’s 2008 campaign through employees of his electrical company.

The Commissioner of Canada Elections charged David Del Mastro and his employee, Tori-Lynn Manchulenko, with two Elections Act violations in Brampton, Ont. The charges come almost a year after investigators raided David Del Mastro’s company, Deltro Electric Ltd.

The investigation was spurred by 2012 reports in the Ottawa Citizen and Postmedia News in which former Deltro staff claimed David Del Mastro asked them to make $1,000 donations to his cousin’s campaign and alleged they were then fully reimbursed by Mr. Deltro and given $50 bonuses.

David Del Mastro, 48, and Ms. Manchulenko, 55, are charged with concealing the identity of the source of a contribution and exceeding the $1,000 individual campaign donation limit in place in 2008.

If convicted, they would each face a maximum punishment of $50,000 fine and up to five years in jail.

Ms. Manchulenko, Deltro’s comptroller, is listed in Elections Canada records as having made her own $1,000 donation to Dean Del Mastro’s campaign on Sept. 19, 2008. On the same day, her son, Jared Manchulenko, also made a $1,000 donation.

A total of $22,000 of donations flowed to Mr. Del Mastro’s

I think it’s ridiculous. It’s overkill

campaign or the Conservative riding association from people affiliated with Deltro or their friends or family, the Citizen investigation found.

David Del Mastro has previously denied any donations scheme, telling the Citizen in 2012 that he asked employees to contribute voluntarily.

Reached Thursday, David Del Mastro said he had no comment and referred the call to his lawyer, Scott Fenton.

Mr. Fenton said his client maintains he did nothing wrong, and he questioned why Elections Canada spent so much effort pursuing the investigation.

“I think it’s absurd the government has spent 2½ years and probably close to half-amillion dollars over allegations that involve $20,000,” Mr. Fenton said. “I think it’s ridiculous. It’s overkill.”

Neither Ms. Manchulenko nor her lawyer could be reached for comment.

Dean Del Mastro, the MP for Peterborough, is awaiting an Oct. 31 verdict on separate charges related to the 2008 campaign.

Dean Del Mastro and his official agent were tried this summer on charges of exceeding the spending limit in the campaign by hiring a voter-contact firm to make $21,000 worth of electoral calls but failing to declare the amount.

Dean Del Mastro said Thursday he doesn’t know anything about the Deltro donations.