An Ottawa courtroom will be packed today (Tuesday, April 7, 2015) as the criminal trial of suspended Conservative senator Mike Duffy gets underway. The judge-alone trial will give Duffy a chance to clear his name on 31 charges related to the Senate expense scandal, including bribery, fraud and breach of trust. A key question is whether Duffy’s primary residence was in P.E.I. or in Ottawa while he was a sitting senator. Senators from outside Ottawa can claim up to 22-thousand dollars a year to cover living expenses. Duffy has denied any wrongdoing concerning his Senate expenses, and a $90,000 cheque written by Prime Minister Harper’s former chief of staff to pay those expenses. Many legal minds have said they don’t see how the giving of this money could be construed as a bribe, as the Crown alleges. It will be interesting to see. There is much discussion of a what might come out at the trial that would impact the forthcoming election. The trial is scheduled to last at least 40 days.
