Montreal Project's Ex-Leader Convicted for Unspecified Offenses
A judge recently confirmed the guilty verdict for former Project Montreal director, Philippe Teisciera-Lessard, in a case of "fraudulent electoral maneuvering" during the 2017 election.
The in-depth investigation by the Philippe Teisciera-Lessard Investigation Team discovered that Marie Depelteau-Paquette, Project Montreal's former director, failed to report her party's authorities about the extra hours worked by Project Montreal employees as electoral expenses.
These overtime hours, as Judge Johanne White stated in her April 22 decision, were solely intended to fuel the "war machine" deployed to ensure victory during the election period. They should have been considered electoral expenses, which are regulated by law.
According to the decision, Depelteau-Paquette, being a well-qualified political figure, should have been well aware she was breaking the law under the Electoral Act. In contrast, Carole Leroux, the official agent of Project Montreal, consistently advocated for including the overtime hours as electoral expenses, to no avail.
Depelteau-Paquette argued she was only following the instructions of the party's board of directors. The judgment also reveals that Mayor Valerie Plante declared her intention to rectify the situation when confronted with the problem.
Judge White also voiced concerns about other potential infractions of the Electoral Law by other members of the Project Montreal-Valerie Plante team, alleging they showed disregard for their official agent's requests, either due to ignorance of the law or willful blindness. However, the Tribunal only reviewed Depelteau-Paquette's case, as she cannot evade her criminal responsibility by claiming she was acting under orders.
Depelteau-Paquette initially received an infraction notice from the General Director of Elections in 2023. At the time, Valerie Plante, the mayor, stated, "The former general director of the party made an error in billing overtime hours during the electoral campaign...We immediately rectified the situation and ensured it wouldn't happen again."
Depelteau-Paquette, who served as Project Montreal's director from 2015 to 2018 and became the chief of staff of the mayor of Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve between 2018 and 2022, did not immediately respond to La Presse. She now works at the Office of Public Participation in Longueuil.
The guilty verdict comes with a $5,000 fine and the loss of her electoral rights.
- The guilty verdict for Philippe Teisciera-Lessard, a former Project Montreal director, was for a "fraudulent electoral maneuvering" case, involving the failure to report overtime hours worked by Project Montreal employees as electoral expenses.
- Carole Leroux, the official agent of Project Montreal, consistently advocated for including the overtime hours as electoral expenses, but her requests were dismissed.
- The judge's decision stated that Marie Depelteau-Paquette, being a well-qualified political figure, should have been aware that she was breaking the law under the Electoral Act.
- The judgment also raises concerns about other potential infractions of the Electoral Law by members of the Project Montreal-Valerie Plante team, with allegations of willful blindness or ignorance of the law.
