CPC Member Criminal Trial Hearing Programme

Having trouble keeping up with which Con is due to make a court appearance this or next month? With the massive amounts of our money being squandered by THG on advertising how great a job they are supposedly doing (in their dreams, and our nightmares), never did they consider for a moment posting a CPC Member Criminal Trial Hearing Programme, so, here it is ......

The political dramas that unfolded in courtrooms last year may be just the warm-up for a new year that will see former Conservative senator Mike Duffy on trial.

In 2014, Michael Sona was convicted of making illegal robocalls that sent voters in Guelph, Ont., to the wrong polling station for the May 2, 2011, federal election. And former Conservative MP Dean Del Mastro was found guilty of overspending on his 2008 campaign and faking paperwork to cover it up.

Who's who in the Senate expense controversy

 (http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/senate-expense-who)

While those cases will continue in 2015, the coming year will also see a new batch of trials and investigations of politicians and political staffers.

 Mike Duffy

The former Conservative senator and broadcaster will go to trial in April 2015 on charges of fraud, bribery and breach of trust (http://www.cbc.ca/…/mike-duffy-senate-expenses-trial-set-fo…). The court has blocked off eight weeks to deal with the case, which is bound to be covered extensively given Duffy's status as a household name and the bombshell allegations he's levelled against the Conservative Party (http://www.cbc.ca/…/mike-duffy-claims-harper-told-him-to-re…). He'll also be the first to go to trial out of a group of four senators whose expenses have been questioned (http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/senate-expense-who) (one of the senators, Pamela Wallin, hasn't been charged in the expenses scandal).

None of the allegations have been tested in court.

Patrick Brazeau

The troubled senator (http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/timeline-brazeau), who was named to the Upper Chamber by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, will be in court starting June 1 for his preliminary inquiry (http://www.cbc.ca/…/patrick-brazeau-court-date-set-on-senat…). The court has set aside 12 days that month to deal with the proceeding that allows a judge to test the allegations and evidence before going to a full trial. Brazeau will be the second senator to go to trial among the group who are accused of claiming expenses to which they weren't entitled.

Brazeau also faces unrelated charges (http://www.cbc.ca/…/patrick-brazeau-to-stand-trial-for-sexu…) across the river from Ottawa in Gatineau, Que. He'll be in court there March 23-25.

None of the allegations have been tested in court.

Bruce Carson

Carson was once a senior adviser to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and wrote a book about the Conservative movement, including his time in the PMO (http://www.cbc.ca/…/bruce-carson-says-stephen-harper-knew-a…). After leaving government, Carson helped start a school of energy at the University of Calgary (http://www.cbc.ca/…/bruce-carson-former-pmo-staffer-has-ban…) and worked with a water purification company (http://www.cbc.ca/…/opposition-jumps-on-carson-allegations-…). He now faces charges of influence peddling (http://www.cbc.ca/…/ex-harper-aide-bruce-carson-charged-wit…) related to his work with both organizations.

Bruce Carson's behind-the-scenes look at Canada's Conservative movement
(http://www.cbc.ca/…/bruce-carsons-behind-the-scenes-look-at…)

How Stephen Harper's inner circle has changed

 (http://www.cbc.ca/…/how-stephen-harper-s-inner-circle-has-c…)

Carson's trial on the charge related to the water purification company starts Sept. 8. A date for the charges related to the school of energy is likely to be decided in February.

None of the allegations have been tested in court.

Michael Sona

Sona was sentenced to nine months in jail, but has been released on bail pending an appeal (http://www.cbc.ca/…/michael-sona-granted-bail-pending-appea…). While he's laying the groundwork to appeal the sentence, the Crown has already filed its motion to appeal (http://www.cbc.ca/…/prosecution-service-to-challenge-michae…) the sentence too. There's no court date yet for the appeal hearing, but it's possible it could happen next fall.

Dean Del Mastro

The man elected three times as a Conservative MP resigned his seat (http://www.cbc.ca/…/dean-del-mastro-guilty-of-breaking-elec…) hours before the House was to vote on whether to suspend him after he was found guilty of three charges related to his 2008 campaign (http://www.cbc.ca/…/dean-del-mastro-found-guilty-in-electio…). Del Mastro's sentencing hearing is scheduled for Jan. 27, although he said he would move to reopen the defence. He changed lawyers (http://www.cbc.ca/…/dean-del-mastro-sentencing-postponed-as…) following that announcement and it's not clear whether he will follow through on that motion.

Dean Del Mastro legal fees subsidized by taxpayers

 (http://www.cbc.ca/…/dean-del-mastro-legal-fees-subsidized-b…)

David Del Mastro

Del Mastro's cousin also faces charges stemming from the 2008 federal campaign (http://www.cbc.ca/…/david-del-mastro-cousin-of-ontario-mp-c…). The Crown alleges David Del Mastro, with the assistance of an employee, funnelled an additional $22,000 in donations (http://www.cbc.ca/…/election-agency-searches-business-of-de…) to Dean Del Mastro's campaign.

The case is working its way through the court with no trial date set.

The allegations have not been tested in court.

Investigation to watch: Pamela Wallin

Court documents show that RCMP were investigating suspended senator Pamela Wallin, but no charges have been laid. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

It's been more than a year since court documents confirmed the RCMP were investigating former Conservative senator Pamela Wallin (http://www.cbc.ca/…/pamela-wallin-committed-fraud-breach-of…) for fraud and breach of trust, and little more information has been available since then. Wallin hasn't been charged, and none of the allegations have been tested in court.

In a related high-profile case, the RCMP confirmed that its probe into Nigel Wright, Harper's former chief of staff (http://www.cbc.ca/…/nigel-wright-won-t-face-charges-over-90…), had ended without charges. It's likely the Mounties would do the same if they ended the investigation into Wallin.

Thanks Michael McNeil