He plans to present documents to the public sometime over the next few days.
Del Mastro dismissed calls by Liberal and NDP MPs for him to step aside as Prime Minister Stephen Harper's parliamentary assistant pending an investigation by Elections Canada.
“This is theatre in Ottawa. It’s neither here nor there,” Del Mastro said Friday. “We have full invoices that support all of our elections spending… I will be coming forward with our records.”
The Ottawa Citizen reported earlier this week that Del Mastro is under investigation by Elections Canada for spending related to voter-contact calls during the 2008 election campaign.
Del Mastro has denied any wrongdoing. Elections Canada, consistent with its policy, refuses to confirm or deny if it is investigating Del Mastro or if it has received any complaints.
Del Mastro repeated on Friday that Elections Canada has never contacted him to indicate any concerns.
Del Mastro added that a reporter in Ottawa got a document that he hasn’t been able to access.
“The way that this has come about is quite disturbing, actually,” he said.
The allegations stem from his campaigns use of Holinshed Research Group for voter identification and get-out-the-vote work. In a small claims suit, the company alleged that it had done about $20,000 worth of work for Del Mastro’s campaign and noted that Del Mastro’s financial statements that were submitted to Elections Canada showed only $1,500 of work by the company. That alleged $20,000 was not the subject of the lawsuit. Holinshed was suing to recover $21,500 for work it said it had done for Del Mastro outside the election campaign.
The claims haven’t been proven in court. After several settlement conferences, the suit was dismissed by the court for delay – the company had stopped pursuing the suit.
The company’s claims were disproven in court, Del Mastro claimed.
“The case was abandoned,” he said. “All of the claims made by the plaintiff in that matter were dismissed… They could not back up any of the claims.”
Del Mastro said he will be presenting campaign records and records from the Conservative riding association in a couple of days.
“I have not been contacted (by Elections Canada) in regard to this at all, but it seems many have questions so I will answer those questions,” he said.
Original Article
Source: community press
Author: Brendan Wedley
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