Canadian court clears senator Mike Duffy in expenses scandal that tainted Tories

A Canadian senator at the centre of an expenses scandal that sullied the former Tory administration and contributed to its electoral loss last year was cleared Thursday of criminal wrongdoing.

An Ontario court declared Senator Mike Duffy not guilty of 31 charges including breach of trust, bribery and fraud related to his government expenses claims.

Duffy, a former broadcast journalist, had pleaded not guilty.

Outside the courthouse, defence lawyer Donald Bain called the decision “a resounding not guilty”.

In delivering his verdict, Judge Charles Vaillancourt deemed Duffy to have been “an overall credible witness” who had shown no “sinister” intent in his actions, save perhaps opportunism.

Prosecutors accused the senator of disbursing taxpayer funds to friends and family for personal expenses including for hair and makeup, and for a fitness trainer.

He was also accused of filing travel expenses for “partisan political activities” such as giving speeches at party fundraisers, and for personal trips including to buy a puppy, and attend his daughter’s play and several funerals.

The defence acknowledged administrative mistakes but said Duffy never intended to defraud the public purse.

The most serious bribery charge stemmed from a C$90,000 (US$70,000) cheque Duffy received from then-prime minister Stephen Harper’s chief of staff, Nigel Wright, to help the lawmaker repay his expenses.

Political heat ensued after it was revealed the government of the day tried to cover it up.

Duffy has said it was all an attempt to quell a public uproar over Senate spending and make a political situation embarrassing to Harper’s base go away.

Duffy is now expected to return to work.

His acquittal also casts doubt on the likelihood of successful prosecutions of two other senators facing similar charges, and on other cases under internal investigation by the Senate.