Elections Canada refers Del Mastro investigation to prosecutors: Report

Del Mastro says he has not been told anything about case being turned over to federal prosecutors

Elections Canada has referred the findings of its investigation into Peterborough MP Dean Del Mastro’s 2008 election finances to federal prosecutors, according to an Ottawa Citizen report.

“There’s nothing new here. This is just speculation,” Del Mastro told The Examiner. “We’ve heard absolutely nothing and until we do we sit and wait.”

Del Mastro added that he hopes he’d be told the outcome of the Elections Canada investigation before the media.

The Ottawa Citizen doesn’t attribute the information to any source.

With the investigation wrapped up, Commissioner of Canada Elections Yves Cote could forward a recommendation to the director of public prosecutions, who would decide whether to take the matter to court, or determine that the findings don’t warrant charges.

Del Mastro has been waiting for the last couple of months for a decision on how the matter would proceed.

An Elections Canada investigator informed Del Mastro’s lawyer in April that the investigation was “virtually complete” and that it was going to the commissioner for review and consideration.

In court documents, Elections Canada investigator Thomas Ritchie alleges that Del Mastro knowingly exceeded the campaign spending limit of $92,567 by about $17,850, that he tried to cover up the violation by paying for $21,000 worth of voter contact calls from his personal bank account and that his campaign created a false document to hide the expense.

The allegations haven’t been proven in court and Del Mastro has denied any wrongdoing.

Postmedia reporters first reported in June 2012 that Elections Canada was investigating the Peterborough MP, who serves as parliamentary secretary to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Before the end of the recent session of Parliament, Del Mastro asked the Speaker of the House to refer to the matter to the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs in an attempt to force a resolution.

Elections Canada refuses to confirm or deny whether an investigation is underway.

The Canada Elections Act gives the director of public prosecutions responsibility for deciding whether to proceed with prosecution.

The Public Prosecution Service of Canada, which is headed by the director of public prosecutions, was created by the Conservative government in 2006 through the Federal Accountability Act. It’s an independent agency that reports to Parliament through the attorney general.