OTTAWA – It would be inappropriate to refer allegations of election fundraising irregularities against Conservative MP Dean Del Mastro to federal prosecutors, Justice Minister Rob Nicholson says.
The decision comes in a letter from Nicholson to federal NDP ethics critic Charlie Angus. Angus wrote to Nicholson in July, asking him to call in the RCMP and federal prosecutors to investigate unproven allegations that Del Mastro, the parliamentary secretary to the prime minister, had benefited from a scheme through which employees of his cousin were allegedly paid to make donations to his campaign.
In his letter to Nicholson, Angus suggested that Del Mastro might have violated the Criminal Code, the elections act and the income tax act, and asked him to refer the matter “to maintain the integrity of the democratic process.”
Nicholson replied in a letter last week that he would not do so.
[More]
It’s a good grand standing move on the part of Charlie Angus, and I’m sure that there will soon be much wailing, gnashing of teeth, and searching for sack cloth over Nicholson’s response, as it is designed to do – but as was said, anyone can go to the police with information regarding criminal activity.
That said, I am surprised that neither the RCMP nor some parliamentary committee or another has not started an investigation into what looks very much like donation buying for Del Mastro.