Election-finance poison pill threatens three cabinet ministers

[CHIMO]

A court ruling initially hailed as a triumph by the Conservatives turns out to contain a bitter pill that could poison the electoral prospects of three senior cabinet ministers.

Last January, a Federal Court judge rejected Elections Canada's claim that advertising expenses attributed to Tory candidates during the 2006 federal election should have been reported as national campaign expenses

The Conservatives claimed “total vindication” at the time, while Elections Canada sought leave to appeal.

The ruling meant the Tories dodged allegations they had orchestrated a scheme that enabled the party to illegally exceed its campaign spending limit by more than $1-million – all while allowing 65 candidates to fraudulently claim reimbursements on expenses they hadn't actually incurred.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/election-finance-poison-pill-threatens-three-cabinet-ministers/article1576229/