Patrick Brown's campaign was after the Federal Conservative Leaders' Election Organizing Committee resolved to disqualify him from the race late Tuesday. Said he was consulting with the legal team.
Commission Chair Ian Brodymade a surprising move in a written statementafter a meeting to discuss this issue.
He said the party had recently noticed a "serious allegation of fraud" by the Brown campaign.
Brody said the allegations were related to the funding rules of the Canadian Election Law, but no further details were provided.
The Braun Campaignresponded with a statementaccusing the parties of making a decision based on an "anonymous claim" without providing full details or evidence.
It accused the party of not having "enough time" to participate in the "fishing expedition" and respond to the campaign, but "still to all the strange demands and unfounded claims. I responded. "
This move deprives thousands of Brown supporters who purchased party members by the June 3 deadline to choose his name on the Conservative-ranked ballot. Then he continued.
"This is a blameful, undemocratic act that breaks trust with hundreds of thousands of Canadians who have embraced Patrick Brown's vision of a modern and comprehensive Conservative Party." The statement states.
In his statement late Tuesday night, Brody informed Brown of the concerns the party's highest return officer had received regarding funding for his campaign, demanding a written response, and he. Campaign.
Brody said the reaction from Brown's campaign did not meet his concerns, and the Supreme Returning Officer recommended that the Leadership Election Organizing Committee, which voted to do so, disqualify him. rice field.
Mr Brody said he would share what the party had with the Election Commission.
Both he and the party's highest returning officer do their best to be fair to Brown, the current mayor of Brampton, Ontario and a former leader of the progressive conservatives of Ontario. Said that. He also said they did their best to provide time to refute the allegations.
"None of these issues affect the integrity of the vote itself," Brodie said.
"I felt it was important to provide party members with a transparent response to this issue, but since this issue is currently under further investigation, I would not talk further about this issue. No "
Brown's campaign accused the party of acting in favor of potential leaders, who are considered to be the main rivals of top jobs.
"Why is the party doing this? It was hoping for the coronation of Pierre Poirievre," the statement said.
Longtime Ottawa parliamentarians Poilievre and Brown's campaign has attacked each other throughout the race.
Poilievre had not yet responded to the Leadership Election Organizing Committee's decision until late Tuesday night.
Former Quebec Prime Minister Jean Charest's campaign, also in a leadership contest, responded by calling the news "very annoying."
"We look forward to more communication about allegations of fraud," wrote Michelle Coates-Mather, a spokeswoman for the Charest campaign.
"Transparency is paramount. We need to understand what the claim is and how Patrick Brown's campaign reacted."
The Conservative Party announces the winners of the Leadership Race in Ottawa on September 10.
Other candidates for the race are Ontario's Conservatives, Reslin Lewis and Scott Hisson. Roman Baber, a former Independent Party member of the Ontario Parliament.
Although he was disqualified, his name is expected to continue to appear on the ranked ballots. A party spokesman said late Tuesday that most of them had already been mailed to members.
Last week, the party said about 675,000 members had signed up to vote for a new conservative leader.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 5, 2022.
