Premier Kathleen Wynne testified in the trial of Sudbury entrepreneur and Liberal fundraiser Gerry Lougheed and Pat Sorbara, the Premier’s former deputy chief of staff yesterday.
Lougheed and Sorbara are standing trial for bribery under Ontario’s Election Act.
The two pleaded not guilty when the trial began five days ago to encouraging former Liberal candidate Andrew Olivier to step aside so then-NDP MP Glenn Thibeault could run for the seat in the 2015 riding by-election.
Olivier has recordings that he claims will show that he was bribed to step aside to make way for Thibeault to run.
In her testimony Wednesday, Wynne has agreed that the idea was to let Olivier, who lost in the 2014 election, down easy and keep him in the Liberal fold.
The Liberals had previously enjoyed a two-decade stranglehold on the region until the 2014 election.
Wynne would later testify that having Thibeault join the provincial Liberals was “intriguing,” to her.
Premier Wynne is not facing charges in the trial.