Tories hid contract for MPP who gave up seat for Patrick Brown
Documents reveal party leader’s office misled Star about potentially embarrassing details of Garfield Dunlop’s contract with Ontario PC party.
Patrick Brown’s office misled the Toronto Star about compensation to a former MPP who quit his seat for the Progressive Conservative leader, imposing a gag order at a time when the secret contract could make the Tories look bad, internal emails show.
Documents obtained by the Star reveal Conservative officials were scrambling after Garfield Dunlop stepped down in Simcoe North so the new PC leader could run in a byelection on Sept. 3, 2015.
Mindful the governing Liberals were under investigation for allegations of bribery, senior party officials were emailing about how to keep under wraps potentially embarrassing details of how the Tories compensated Dunlop.
In one email, a key Brown aide overruled a lawyer from the party who suggested full disclosure, telling him that she had already denied any payments and intended to feign ignorance if asked again.
She also ordered all other staff and PC activists to abide by her edict.
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