Conservative Party fines former leadership candidate Patrick Brown

Former Federal Conservative leadership candidate Patrick Brown has been fined by the party for issues relating to funding irregularities, according to a party source.

The source said Brown – who was recently re-elected mayor of Brampton, Ont. — was told last week he would be fined a total of $100,000, the full amount of the compliance deposit each candidate had to hand over to the party to enter the leadership race.

The news was first reported by the Toronto Star.

When contacted by CBC News, Brown’s communications director Gary Collins did not address the fine. Instead, Collins called on the Conservative Party to return donations to members that Brown registered when he ran for leadership.

« These donations were made in the spring and were intended to support a candidate determined to make the party more progressive and more moderate. It is a mistake for the party to hold on to these donations, » Collins said in a statement.

The party kicked Brown out of the leadership race

The party ejected Brown from the leadership race just two months before choosing its next leader.

At the time, the party cited « serious allegations of wrongdoing » related to the funding rules, which it referred to the Commissioner of Canada Elections.

The party said at the time that the decision to disqualify Brown was based on a recommendation from its returning officer. A Dispute Resolution Appeals Committee was to decide whether the agent had the evidence to recommend his dismissal.

He said the evidence included allegations that Brown authorized more than 500 non-compliant membership sales.