Three senior Ontario Provincial Police union officials — one a former Liberal candidate — have stepped aside in the wake of an RCMP criminal probe.

The dramatic move Monday followed a raid Friday by the Mounties who swooped in to the OPP Association headquarters in Barrie armed with a search warrant.

Sources close to the association told the Star that RCMP investigators are examining financial matters at the police union.

RCMP Const. Jean Juneau said the search warrant has been ordered sealed by an Ontario Superior Court judge.

That means details of evidence sought by the Mounties cannot yet be made public.

But Juneau emphasized “no charges are imminent” in an investigation that began only recently.

He would not comment further on the warrant, saying officers were searching for “evidence that could help in our investigation.”

“We’ll see later on if charges are deemed necessary.”

Association president Jim Christie, vice-president Martin Bain, and chief administrative officer Karl Walsh “have taken voluntary leaves of absence,” the union said in a statement.

Walsh, who was the provincial Liberal candidate in Barrie during the 2011 election, has been placed on administrative leave by the OPPA’s board of directors.

“The RCMP is conducting a criminal investigation and believed that evidence to support its investigation could be found in the OPP Association Head Office as well as the offices of president Christie, vice president Bain and CAO Walsh,” the OPPA said.

On his LinkedIn profile, Walsh also identifies himself as a director of the Ontario Pension Board, which administers the $18-billion Public Service Pension Plan sponsored by the Ontario government.

He also served as president of the OPPA from October 2005 to March 2011, when he became the association’s chief administrative officer, responsible for its then $70-million budget.

Christie made headlines in last June’s provincial election when he had the union actively campaign against then Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak.

“For the first time in the 60-year history of the OPPA, Tim Hudak has given us no choice but to engage in a publicity campaign during an election,” Christie said at the time.

The union released two videos attacking the Tories for wanting to cancel OPP contracts, reduce pay, and cut pension plans for new recruits.

Their activism was helpful to Premier Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals in the June 12 election, though Christie played down that aspect of the OPPA’s politicking.

“These ads do not serve as an endorsement for the Liberals or the NDP. This also does not mean that we don’t respect and work well with many in the Conservative caucus. We just don’t want this Conservative as premier.”

In the wake of the RCMP warrant, the OPPA said it is “in the process of obtaining specialized independent legal advice with respect to this matter” and will not be commenting further.

“The association has fully co-operated with the RCMP investigation by providing them with the items identified in their search warrant,” the union said in its statement.

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“These actions should not be considered admissions or implications of wrongdoing or liability by anyone or by the association. The association has no knowledge of any charges being laid against any persons at this time.”

There are about 6,200 uniformed and 3,600 civilian members of the OPPA, which is currently in contract talks with the provincial government.

With the temporary departure of Christie, Bain, and Walsh — who did not immediately respond to emails from the Star — Doug Lewis will act as president, Todd Provost will serve as acting vice-president, and Michael Briscoe will step as CAO.