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News Update: RCMP "Raid" Tory headquarters

by Barry Artiste | April 15, 2008 at 07:47 am

883 views | 10 Recommendations | 8 comments

Opinion

Barry Artiste,Now Public Contributor

Certainly a NEWS Wanted Story.

Elections Canada directed the RCMP to raid Conservative Party Headquarters, in what surely will be National if not World News. Certainly advantage Liberals who maybe Chomping at the Bit when the Tories are Down and take this inopportune time to force an election, instead of "Blustering" to the media about it.

Below is the CBC Breaking Story

RCMP raid Tory headquarters

CBC News

RCMP are conducting a raid on Conservative party headquarters in Ottawa on Tuesday in connection with an investigation into spending on election advertising.

The Mounties, who have a search warrant, say they are assisting Elections Canada.

Conservative party spokesman Ryan Sparrow had no comment as he entered headquarters. The issue involves party spending during the campaign for the 2006 parliamentary election.

The party gave $1.2 million to local candidates who hadn't reached their spending limits. That money was then returned to the party, which spent it on regional television and radio ads. Elections Canada alleges that money drove the party over the $18.3-million spending limit for federal elections.

More to come

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/04/15/rcmp-tories.html

Update of the above story below

Harper says no laws broken despite RCMP search warrant executionMeagan Fitzpatrick, Canwest News ServicePublished: Tuesday, April 15, 2008

OTTAWA -- Under attack in the House of Commons over an RCMP raid on Conservative party headquarters Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the Tories are "rock solid" in their legal position and fended off allegations that his party broke spending laws during the last election.

The RCMP were at the party's downtown Ottawa offices at the request of Elections Canada to assist in executing a search warrant.

"What will it take for the prime minister to finally admit that the Conservative party broke the law?" Liberal Leader Stephane Dion asked during question period.

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=5bb19397-1e7c-4892-a9e5-9e46c8aa2e30&k=32637

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PEP

at 09:20 on April 15th, 2008

Barry Artiste, thanks for getting this story out so quickly. It will now show up on the home page for four hours. If new developments justify it, I'll renew this flag for another cycle.

Good stuff, too. Is this going to be like Watergate?

Barry Artiste

at 09:29 on April 15th, 2008

You know PEP, I was thinking the exact same thing "WaterGate" but hesitated as it was not one party invading another, but more about irregularities of Tory funds, perhaps the Cadman affair started the ball rolling. WHo knows until the facts come a rolling in.

Thanks for being the first, as well as an American to repond and comment on this Canadian News Story, makes one wonder if Canada was out on a Starbucks break.

PEP

at 10:02 on April 15th, 2008

You're welcome. As a journalist, long-time political devotee, and someone who's also gotten her hands into political pots, I think this story is major.

Rob Walker

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 10:03 on April 15th, 2008

Barry Artiste, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Assuming there's something to it (and I really can't see the RCMP going into the conservative party headquarters without knowing they'd find something), this could be a giant issue if an election is triggered.

Especially considering the liberals lost a lot of support over the sponsorship scandal.

Barry Artiste

at 10:34 on April 15th, 2008

Certainly a Conservative Embarrassment in an otherwise clean government with little major scandal, compared to the Liberal reign

Thanks for the comments Rob and the Flag

Amy Judd

at 12:18 on April 15th, 2008

Hey, Barry Artiste, thanks for getting this up so quickly... I'm removing the urgent flag for this story for the time being. If there are any new developments, please let me know.

Barry Artiste

at 13:51 on April 15th, 2008

No Problem AMy, RCMP and Torys are being tightlipped over anything new developing,. and will apprise readers once I hear something.

By the way a even bigger government scandal which seem to be getting Ziltch interest is the government paying 50 million dollars this fall to PIG farmers to Kill 150,000 healthy Pigs of whcih some will go to pet food and food banks, certainly Tax payers should have a say since it is our money, with the current food prices skyrocketing and third world children starving that some of this food should go to them.

So far my story is a desert wasteland of comments, certainly suprising based on everyones story on world starvation, yet nary a glance or comment on my article, guess all talk no action is the bandwagon for the day.