The Liberal Party of Quebec has paid back $551,400 in illegal campaign donations collected between 2006 and 2011, party president Gilbert Grimard announced in a statement on Thursday.
In July, Quebec’s Chief Electoral Officer announced the Liberals and the Parti Québécois would likely have to repay large amounts under the power of a new law that allows it to go after illegal contributions.
In the case of the PQ, the amount sought was up to $250,000, a tally that is still under discussion. In August, the Coalition Avenir Québec paid back $35,450 in illegal donations collected by the Action démocratique du Québec, which merged with the CAQ in 2012.
The Chief Electoral Officer has not divulged the nature of the illegal donations, saying only that they contravened Quebec’s electoral laws.
