MP Dean Del Mastro, Election Act offenses

The former parliamentary secretary for the prime minister, MP Dean Del Mastro, has been found guilty on charges that he committed Elections Acts offences when he was campaigning in 2008. The convictions against Del Mastro included filing an incorrect return to Elections Canada, overspending, and under reporting. Each of the convictions that were given carries a maximum fine of $2,000 and the possibility of up to a year in prison. With three convictions this means that Del Mastro is facing a maximum of $6,000 in fines and 3 years in prison. The charges against MP Dean Del Mastro involved writing a check to cover work performed for the election in the amount of $21,000, but then claiming a payment of just $1,575 once it was realized that the full $21,000 would put Del Mastro over the spending limit for campaigns.

Because4 MP Dean Del Mastro has been convicted of Elections Act offenses there have been some calls for him to step down from his current position however he has refused to do so. Richard McCarthy, who acted as Del Mastro’s accountant at one time, was also convicted on two of the three charges that were brought against him for the actions involved in the case. When the case was reviewed the investigator found that Del Mastro obfuscated the evidence, and refused to answer a number of key questions that were asked of him while the matter was being reviewed. Under the Elections Act calls for anyone who has been convicted of offenses under the act to be completely barred from serving any office until a minimum of five years have passed since the conviction.