No charges laid in Alberta RCMP investigation into 2017 UCP leadership contest

While there were “suspected instances of potential identity fraud” in the 2017 United Conservative leadership vote, the Alberta RCMP said Friday there wasn’t enough evidence to lay charges.

In 2019, the RCMP received a complaint about the alleged wrongdoings in the 2017 leadership race and voting contest to pick the new UCP leader.

The RCMP opened an investigation.

The first allegation was that leadership candidate Jeff Callaway entered the race solely to attack another candidate and planned to withdraw from the race and endorse Jason Kenney.

Elections Alberta investigated contributions to Callaway‘s campaign. In July 2019, Callaway was fined $70,000 by Alberta’s election commissioner for irregular campaign contributions in relation to the 2017 leadership race.

After 170 interviews and examining more than 25,000 related emails, the RCMP “did not uncover evidence to establish that Callaway or any other person committed any criminal offence,” RCMP Supt. Rick Jane said.

“We would need sufficient evidence to allow us to know that there was no intention for a person to take the role of leader should they win the contest,” he explained.

“We found no evidence in our conversations and interviews — and we had co-operation from the candidates — that there was not a willingness to take on the leadership role had Mr. Callaway won the leadership contest and that’s very, very relevant to whether or not this would have been a fraud.”

The second allegation was that voter fraud occurred in the UCP leadership contest, particularly that emails were created in order to receive PINs and vote on peoples’ behalf without their consent or knowledge.

The RCMP investigation found “several suspicious cross-sections of voters where multiple votes were cast