Sudbury MPP and Energy Minister Glenn Thibeault is denying he was bribed to run for the provincial Liberals in the February 2015 byelection.
In a statement Wednesday, his lawyer, Ian R. Smith, described the allegations as “absurd.”
“I have become aware that Pat Sorbara has been charged under the Election Act in connection with the byelection my client won in Sudbury in 2015,” Smith's statement said.
“I understand that Ms. Sorbara is alleged to have corruptly induced my client to leave his position as a Federal Member of Parliament so that he could run for the provincial Liberals.
“I want to be clear – Mr. Thibeault has advised the investigators in this matter, with whom he has cooperated fully, that no such inducement was made or accepted. The assertions to the contrary are hard to credit.”
On Tuesday, the Ontario Provincial Police charged funeral director and fundraiser Gerry Lougheed Jr., 62, and former Liberal election director Sorbara with bribery under the Elections Act.
Lougheed faces one charge in connection to a conversation he had with former Liberal candidate Andrew Olivier in which he attempted to convince Olivier to withdraw and support Thibeault.
Sorbara is also charged with bribery in connection to attempting to get Olivier to withdraw. She's also charged with attempting to bribe Thibeault to leave the NDP and run for the Liberals. Both are expected to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Sudbury on Nov. 21.
In the statement, Richards says Thibeault entered provincial politics to serve, not because he was induced.
“Thibeault spent years as an MP in opposition faithfully serving the people of Sudbury,” the statement said. “His decision to leave that position in the hopes that he could win the byelection and join Premier Wynne's governing Liberals was motivated by nothing other than a desire to serve the constituents of Sudbury more effectively than federal politics had permitted.”
But on Wednesday, the NDP called on Elections Ontario to investigate Thibeault’s role in the byelection scandal
In a letter to Greg Essensa, Ontario's chief electoral officer, NDP Deputy Leader Jagmeet Singh asked that Essensa “launch an
investigation” into Thibeault actions.
“One of the charges against Ms. Sorbara relates, specifically, to an alleged bribe that she offered to Mr. Glenn Thibeault, who is now the MPP for Sudbury and Minister of Energy,” Singh wrote.
“According to the information filed by the OPP, it is alleged that between Nov. 19, 2014, and Feb. 6, 2015, Ms. Sorbara did 'directly or indirectly give, procure or promise or agree to procure an office of employment to induce a person, to wit, Glenn Thibeault, to become a candidate contrary to section 96.1(e) of the Election Act,' ” he said in the letter.
“The people of Ontario need to know whether Mr. Thibeault was offered and accepted an office, employment, or any other consideration in exchange for his candidacy for the Liberal Party.”
But Richards described the accusation as “absurd.”
“To think that he would make that change by reason of some improper inducement is, frankly, absurd,” Richards said in the statement. “Mr Thibeault wishes Ms Sorbara well in her defence of this matter, which we are confident will be successful.”
