Del Mastro trial begins on Elections Act charges from 2008 campaign

PETERBOROUGH, Ont. – A member of Parliament once tasked with defending the Harper Conservatives against voter fraud allegations goes on trial today, accused of campaign overspending.

Former Conservative Dean Del Mastro pleaded not guilty last month to charges under the Canada Elections Act.

Del Mastro now sits in the House of Commons as an independent MP and insists he did nothing wrong during the 2008 election.

He is also charged with failing to report a personal contribution of $21,000 to his own campaign.

Elections Canada also alleges Del Mastro tried to cover up his overspending by knowingly submitting a falsified document.

The trial in front of an Ontario provincial court judge is currently scheduled to last a little more than two weeks.

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