No charges as RCMP conclude probe into Alberta’s 2017 UCP leadership race
No charges will be laid following a long and complex Alberta RCMP investigation into allegations of voter fraud and identity theft in the 2017 United Conservative Party leadership race won by Jason Kenney.
RCMP announced the conclusion of their investigation at a news conference in Edmonton Friday following a closed-door technical briefing with reporters.
Since 2019, RCMP had been investigating allegations of fraud and identity theft in the contest that Kenney won in October 2017 before he became Alberta’s premier.
RCMP characterized the investigation Friday as high-profile and extremely complex.
The investigation looked into two allegations: that candidate Jeff Callaway entered the leadership contest solely to attack another candidate, always with the intention of pulling out and endorsing a different candidate before the vote, and that there were instances of identity fraud in the voting process.
Kenney’s leadership win was tainted by allegations his campaign ran Callaway as a so-called “kamikaze” candidate to attack and undermine Kenney’s main rival, former Wildrose leader Brian Jean. Kenney was interviewed in February 2022 by the RCMP about the allegations.
Callaway dropped out of the race before the vote and endorsed Kenney. Both men have denied their campaigns colluded to undermine Jean.
The investigation did not uncover evidence to establish that Callaway or any other person committed a criminal offence, RCMP said Friday.
Voter fraud allegations
The 2017 UCP leadership race also faced allegations of attempted voter fraud using mail-in ballots.
The allegations were that emails were created in order to receive PINs and vote on peoples’ behalf without their consent.
RCMP investigators examined the voter database used by the UCP and identified a list of “suspicious votes,” police said Friday.
Police said the number of potential votes at issue, which after investigation was less than 200, was not enough to sway the results of the leadership race.
Kenney won with 36,625 votes (61 per cent), Jean received 18,336 votes (31 per cent), followed by Doug Schweitzer with 4,273 votes (seven per cent).
The investigation did not find evidence that any leadership candidate encouraged their volunteers to engage in identity fraud, RCMP said.
During the course of the investigation, police conducted interviews with the more than 1,200 people and examined their UCP membership and registration forms.
“While RCMP determined that there suspected instances of potential identity fraud, there was insufficient evidence to charge any suspect and there was no evidence that any leadership candidate orchestrated these “relatively rare instances,” RCMP said in Friday’s news release.
Nothing in the investigation suggested that the UCP failed to take reasonable steps to manage their internal process, RCMP Supt. Rick Jané said during Friday’s news conference.
“This wasn’t a widespread situation,” he said. “There was no hacking like technological hacking. There was no use of foreign interference.
“This was a situation where it appears that it is possible that in some cases somebody obtained personal information that allowed them to register and receive a PIN to vote and then cast that vote.
“And those cases, if they could be proven in court, would still be a very small, small percentage of the overall vote.”
Jané said the years-long investigation was thorough. It’s unlikely the investigation will be reopened, he said.
RCMP said the case involved more than 65 investigators, 1,200 interviews with voters, 560 other interviews, 12 out-of-province trips by 22 investigators, and $460,877 paid in overtime and travel expenses.
View original article here Source
Queen Size 4 Piece Sheet Set - Comfy Breathable & Cooling Sheets - Hotel Luxury Bed Sheets for Women & Men…
$29.99 (as of April 16, 2024 20:29 GMT -05:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Brita Standard Water Filter, Standard Replacement Filters for Pitchers and Dispensers, BPA Free, 3 Count
$22.49 (as of April 16, 2024 20:29 GMT -05:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Carhartt Men's Loose Fit Heavyweight Short-Sleeve Pocket T-Shirt
$28.99 (as of April 16, 2024 20:29 GMT -05:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Gritin Resistance Bands, [Set of 5] Skin-Friendly Resistance Fitness Exercise Loop Bands with 5 Different Resistance…
$14.99 (as of April 16, 2024 20:29 GMT -05:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
e.l.f. Squeeze Me Lip Balm, Moisturizing Lip Balm For A Sheer Tint Of Colour, Infused With Hyaluronic Acid, Vegan…
$4.97 (as of April 16, 2024 20:29 GMT -05:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
AmazonBasics Light-Weight Microfiber Sheet Set - Twin, Frosted Lavender
$19.00 (as of April 16, 2024 20:29 GMT -05:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Apple iPhone 12, 64GB, Black - Fully Unlocked (Renewed)
$369.00 (as of April 16, 2024 20:29 GMT -05:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Amazon Basics 20 Pack AA High-Performance Alkaline Batteries, 10-Year Shelf Life, Easy to Open Value Pack
$11.67 (as of April 16, 2024 20:29 GMT -05:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Strap Tie Slippers for Women Crocodile Embossed Flat Sandals Cross Strappy Open Toe Summer Trendy Slide Sandals
$10.99 (as of April 16, 2024 20:29 GMT -05:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)