Former Liberal party operative Benoit Corbeil might have to reimburse hundreds of thousands of dollars to his victims, including the Liberal party of Canada, a Montreal court heard on Thursday at a sentencing hearing.
Corbeil pleaded guilty in June to fraud and influence peddling for offenses committed while he was a Liberal organizer and later president of the party's Quebec wing.
In a pre-sentence report, Corbeil suggested he was a victim of intricate party politics.
"This is how things used to work in politics. I'm just a pawn in all of this. I'm a good political soldier."
The prosecution argued that Corbeil was fully aware of his actions, and should pay back the money he stole, in addition to serving jail time.
"Corbeil has a PHD in political science. He knew exactly what he was doing," said Crown prosecutor Josee Fontaine.
The defence argued that Corbeil never profited from his actions, and should receive a lenient sentence.
Money trail
In 1997, Corbeil took a $50,000 Liberal donation from a businessman south of Montreal on a promise to clear up red tape in a complicated land deal. The businessman had wanted to expand a quarry in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu.
Corbeil also admitted to signing for Liberal bills that he knew were fake and then funneling $117,000 to companies owned by the late Giuseppe Morselli, a onetime Liberal organizer. Corbeil was arrested and charged in April of last year.
He served as director of the Quebec wing from 1999 to 2000.
Sponsorship connections
Corbeil was named at a public inquiry as a participant in a conspiracy to funnel money to the Liberal party in exchange for sponsorship contracts.
Ad executive Jean Brault said Corbeil was one of several top Quebec Liberals who browbeat him into handing over cash to the party and paying for staffing costs and equipment in the 1990s.
