“This has been a disturbing situation, to put it mildly,” he told reporters in his hometown of Peterborough, Ont.
“I’m dealing with allegations for which there is no process to clear my name. How do you deal with that?”
Del Mastro, the parliamentary secretary to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, said he had no opportunity to present evidence he says will clear him of Elections Canada’s allegations that he exceeded his spending limit and tried to cover it up.
In fact, Elections Canada has offered Del Mastro a chance to give a “cautioned” statement to investigators — meaning it could be used against him in court — but he declined.
The agency has refused to confirm that he and his official agent are under investigation, but the probe was revealed in court documents itemizing suspected breaches of the Elections Act.
In the sworn statement, the investigator says Del Mastro paid Ottawa’s Holinshed Research Group $21,000 for voter contact calls that wasn’t declared in campaign finance returns.
The company was “paid by Dean Del Mastro from his personal bank account in a manner that facilitated the concealing and misreporting of election expenses and contributions,” investigator Thomas Ritchie said in the document.
But Del Mastro again insisted that all his campaign filings were in order.
“At the end of this process, I will be fully exonerated and I think there will be some serious questions for others to answer.”
Although he has previously promised he would produce documents to clear his name, on Wednesday he said he will do so only when there’s an unspecified mechanism put in place.
“I’ve got allegations without process. I’m not going to provide any additional documentation until there’s a process to do so.”
He also suggested that Elections Canada had provided inside information to journalists.
“I know there are a couple of reporters that seem to have a heads-up over everyone else, including everything that goes on at Elections Canada. Why don’t you talk to them?” he said, apparently referring to a Citizen reporter and another from Postmedia News, who first reported on the investigation.
Elections Canada spokesman John Enright declined to comment, citing the agency’s policy to never confirm or deny an investigation. But he pointed to a House of Commons committee hearing in March, when Chief Electoral Officer Marc Mayrand called allegations of media leaks “baseless smears” — the same phrase that Del Mastro used repeatedly when defending the government against opposition attacks over the robocalls scandal.
Del Mastro also insisted he had no knowledge of alleged reimbursements that former employees of his cousin’s Mississauga electrical company say they were paid for donating to the same 2008 campaign.
One former employee has signed a statutory declaration describing how Deltro Electric Ltd. paid them $1,050 for $1,000 donations to Del Mastro’s riding association.
The Citizen has obtained copies of two cheques from Deltro in that amount, made out to two donors, and dated in the second week of the campaign.
Del Mastro did not say whether he had talked to his cousin about these allegations but said they were coming from a single person “with a motive.” He denied he knew anything about the alleged reimbursements, saying he never handled the incoming cheques, and told reporters to contact his cousin for more information.
“Oh, don’t talk to me,” David Del Mastro said when called Wednesday. “Have a good life and leave me alone,” he added before hanging up.
In a slightly longer call last month, David Del Mastro denied any reimbursements were paid by Deltro. He said he merely asked people to donate to his cousin’s electoral bid voluntarily. Elections Canada records show 19 people with ties to his company or its employees gave $1,000 each to the campaign or riding association.
Dean Del Mastro expressed frustration that a press conference intended to highlight an economic development announcement had been overtaken by questions about his election finances.
He spoke about the effect of the allegations on the Del Mastro name, that of his late father, which appears on the sign above his family’s car dealership.
“This does bother me. I grew up a poor farm kid,” he said. “We didn’t have a lot growing up. My two heroes in my life were my mother and father.”
But he said he was bolstered by the prime minister’s ongoing support.
“I think Prime Minister Harper is the greatest leader in the industrialized world,” he said. “I’ve always appreciated the trust he placed in me.”
Original Article
Source: ottawa citizen
Author: GLEN MCGREGOR
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