Liberals recruited ad man to raise money

Liberal officials asked Montreal ad executive Jean Lafleur to help raise money for the party's election campaign in 1997, the year after he became a millionaire thanks to a flood of federal contracts, the Gomery inquiry heard yesterday.

Mr. Lafleur said he raised money for the Liberals after he was contacted by party executive director Benoît Corbeil and by Giuseppe (Joe) Morselli, a key fundraiser and long-time associate of chief Quebec organizer Alfonso Gagliano.

At the time, the Liberal Party had financial problems in Quebec.

"I was asked to lend a hand," said Mr. Lafleur, of Lafleur Communication Marketing.

He said he helped even though he wasn't a party member. "It's all a matter of perception in life. The Conservatives thought that I was a Liberal and the Liberals thought that I was a Conservative."

Mr. Lafleur was candid about why he cozied up to politicians and influential people. "As a businessman, I have an interest in having friends everywhere. . . . One day it may be useful."

He said he raised money for the party by finding donors to attend golf tournaments and fundraisers.

Mr. Lafleur said Mr. Morselli also asked him to find financial donors for Mr. Gagliano at the riding level.

After the June, 1997, election, Mr. Gagliano became minister for public works, the department that would continue to send millions of dollars in contracts to ad agencies, including Mr. Lafleur's.

As the commission headed by Mr. Justice John Gomery investigates questionable spending in the federal sponsorship program, a key issue is whether the Liberals got anything in return for the tens of millions of dollars in contracts Ottawa pumped into a handful of Quebec agencies.

Mr. Lafleur's son, Éric, and eight of Mr. Lafleur's employees donated nearly $12,000 to Liberal candidate Yolande Thibeault in 1997.

"Is it randomness or an intervention from the Holy Spirit that so many people from your firm donated?" asked commission counsel Guy Cournoyer.

Mr. Lafleur said he was personally approached. But as Mr. Cournoyer went through each of the other names, Mr. Lafleur replied nine times that he couldn't remember whether he spoken with that person about giving money to the Liberals.

He confirmed that on the eve of the June, 1997, federal election, he was approached to raise funds for the Liberal Party.

He said he had never met Mr. Morselli or Mr. Corbeil before.

Another organizer he said he met in 1997 at the Liberal fundraising committee was Jacques Corriveau, a party supporter with close ties to Jean Chrétien who received millions in subcontracts from sponsorship deals.

The inquiry also heard yesterday that one of Mr. Lafleur's firms, Gescom Inc., paid $134,000 to the lobby firm of former public works minister David Dingwall in 1998-99.

Mr. Lafleur had been asked by then Via Rail president Marc LeFrançois to hire Wallding International Inc. to lobby cabinet to increase funding for the rail company. "Mr. LeFrançois didn't want to bother his minister," Mr. Lafleur said.

So, instead, Mr. Dingwall's firm was hired to "provide information so that [cabinet ministers]would understand that Via Rail needs more money."

But wasn't Gescom a crisis-management consultant? Mr. Lafleur was asked. "In this case, Mr. LeFrançois said it was urgent," he replied.

Mr. Lafleur said he had never had talks with Mr. Dingwall or with his aide, Warren Kinsella, while Mr. Dingwall was in office. He met Mr. Dingwall in 1999 at partisan fundraisers.

Mr. Lafleur was asked whether Mr. Dingwall had asked him about donations to the party. The ad executive paused before answering, "I don't remember."