Poilievre camp raises concerns over membership ‘fraud’ in Conservative race

Presumed frontrunner demands party cancel all memberships purchased with pre-paid credit cards since Feb. 2, threatens legal action.

Pierre Poilievre is raising concerns over potential “fraud” in the Conservative leadership race, demanding the ban of pre-paid credit cards to purchase memberships.

In a letter sent to the party Tuesday, obtained by Global News, a lawyer for the Poilievre campaign suggested the use of pre-paid credit cards to purchase memberships violated party rules.

And if the party refuses to ban them — and cancel any memberships purchased with them since Feb. 2 — the Poilievre campaign hinted it would see them in court.

“As we have repeatedly explained, our candidate does not fear losing a fair election,” the letter, sent by Bennett Jones partner Robert Staley, read.

“Instead, our candidate is concerned that the leadership might be won by a candidate who has openly acknowledged cheating, and appears unconstrained by integrity and rules in his pursuit of political offices.”

The Poilievre campaign provided no evidence of alleged fraud, nor did Staley’s letter accuse any rival campaign of buying memberships — and eligible voters for September’s leadership vote.

But the letter quoted candidate Patrick Brown, the mayor of Brampton and former Ontario PC leader, acknowledging that “everyone knows” that candidates buy memberships for their supporters and likening the practice to “jaywalking.”

“Patrick Brown has described the illegal buying of memberships for people in a political race as normal as ‘jaywalking.’ It is not normal, it is serious and it is illegal,” wrote Anthony Koch, a spokesperson for the Poilievre campaign.