Quebec Inquiry Hears Confession of Construction Boss Offering Cash to Senator

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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A construction boss very important to Quebec Construction Inquiry, Lino Zambito, has made another confession of having offered to make cash donations to a provincial party fundraiser, Leo Housakos, who now serves as a Conservative senator. Consequently, Zambito was replied that he should only make his contributions through a series of personal cheques. He claims that his offer to Senator Housakos and his response bears proof that the former head of a construction firm was willing to break the rules to offer a financial contribution to the Action Démocratique du Québec.

However, on the other hand, Mr. Housakos completely refutes having taken part in any improper fundraising, though he confirms having met Mr. Zambito in 2008 over the “form” of Mr. Zambito’s donations to the since-disbanded provincial party. Mr. Zambito recorded his testimony in front of the Charbonneau inquiry into corruption in the Quebec construction industry, where he eventually confessed having sent a total of almost $20,000 to the ADQ, through small personal cheques from individuals that he later reimbursed in cash. He stated on Tuesday that “I offered to pay [Mr. Housakos] in cash and he said, ‘No, I prefer cheques; it’s easier for the party.’”

Mr. Zambito fails to provide any evidence which shows that Mr. Housakos was aware that the cheques to the ADQ went against Quebec’s political financing rules, though he states that “like other organizers, he wanted cheques, and it was up to me to figure out how to get them.”