OTTAWA—The presumptive front-runner of the Conservative leadership race is alleging a rival camp is fraudulently signing up new party members using prepaid credit cards.

Kevin O’Leary’s camp made the surprising allegations in a press release Thursday night. Providing no proof, the television personality and businessman accused an unnamed rival of “committing widespread vote rigging and potentially breaking our electoral and financing laws to try to buy a leadership victory.”

When asked to substantiate the claim, a spokesperson for O’Leary said they turned information over to the Conservative Party.

“That’s all with the party right now and we’re going to let the party do it’s investigation,” Ari Laskin said Thursday night.

“What we’ve heard from some people that approached our campaign and some people who have noticed this in person is there’s been a series of prepaid credit cards that a specific campaign has been using and … they’re going through the provincial members list in Ontario and signing up members that way.”

Laskin claimed thousands of members had signed up using that method, but refused to name the campaign they’re accusing of fraud.

Two sources not connected to O’Leary told The Canadian Press it appeared the campaign of his main rival in the race, Maxime Bernier, was the one under scrutiny.

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A source inside Bernier’s campaign shot back at the rumours they were involved in the alleged fraud.

“If Kevin spent more time in Canada campaigning he would be winning instead of whining,” the source said, speaking anonymously because they had not been authorized to provide an official response.

O’Leary has faced criticism for continuing to do events and interviews in the U.S. long after he launched his leadership bid officially in January.

He is currently on a cross-Canada tour, telling Conservative MPs earlier this month he planned to spend 24 days on the road in March, according to a leaked copy of a letter he circulated to the Conservative caucus and obtained by The Canadian Press.

He also told MPs he is signing up 700 new members a day.

Brad Trost, one of the 14 candidates in the race, called on O’Leary to provide proof of his allegations.

“If Mr. O’Leary has evidence to substantiate this hack he should make it public immediately,” Trost said in a statement.

“If this is nothing but a publicity stunt, and Mr. O’Leary has no evidence then he should be sanctioned to the greatest extent possible by the party.”

Conservative Party spokesperson Cory Hann said the party is aware of the allegations and is investigating them, but did not address the substance of O’Leary’s claims.

“We’re aware of the allegations and we are looking into it through our verification process, as we would in any nomination, whether it be in a single riding or for the leadership of our party. Any membership obtained contrary to the rules will be struck from our membership list and ineligible to vote,” Hann said in a statement.

“Our rules are clear, any person looking to join our party must do so by paying the membership fee out of their own pocket, and we will ensure that principle is followed.”

The Conservative Party constitution requires all members to “personally” pay for their membership, not belong to any other federal party, and “actively support the principles” of the party.

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On Twitter Thursday night, longtime Ottawa MPP Lisa MacLeod said O’Leary should identify the campaign he’s accusing of massive voter fraud.

“Name names. This is a serious allegation presumably against party loyalists who have been with our party for many years,” MacLeod wrote.

O’Leary himself has faced questions over campaign finance issues after he told the Globe and Mail that he used a private jet to travel to campaign events.