Patrick Brown hosts $1,700 per ticket fundraiser for leadership debt without party

By Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press on February 28, 2023.

OTTAWA – Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown is working to pay off debt from his federal Conservative leadership bid, but without the help of the party or the ability to issue tax receipts to donors.

The Conservative Party of Canada ousted Brown from the leadership campaign last year over allegations he had violated the rules of the race and possibly the Canada Elections Act.

Brown, who has denied allegations of wrongdoing, went on to win re-election as mayor of Brampton, Ont., after his disqualification.

He has an unspecified amount of expenses to pay off from his leadership campaign and hosted a fundraiser charging $1,700 per ticket in the Greater Toronto Area last week.

The Conservative party confirmed it is not accepting contributions to Brown’s campaign, as its own rules prevent it from doing so for candidates that did not meet its leadership contest criteria.

Brown’s campaign manager says his team has set up its own account in the name of its official agent to collect donations, which are ineligible for the federal tax credit for political contributions.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 28, 2023.

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