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A spokesman for Harper said Thursday that Wright “has the confidence of the prime minister” and “he will not resign.”

As for Duffy, his 2011 election expenses are reportedly being reviewed by the Conservative party over reports he may have billed the Senate for travel while campaigning for the Tories. On Thursday, Harper’s office would only say that “at present time, Senator Duffy is a member of caucus.”

Wright dipped into his personal funds to help Duffy repay the cash the senator had claimed against his home in an Ottawa suburb because, Harper’s office said Wednesday, “Duffy was unable to make a timely repayment.” Wright wrote the personal cheque, Harper’s office said, so Duffy could repay the approximately $90,000 in living expenses he had claimed over more than three years in the Senate.

A senior official told Postmedia News on Thursday that Wright gave the personal cheque to Duffy’s lawyer to be held in trust.

However, Duffy also took out a loan from Royal Bank to cover the cost of repaying his Senate expenses, according to a Senate source with knowledge of the financial arrangement. In a report Wednesday, CTV said Duffy told the broadcaster that he dealt with the bank alone and Wright was not involved in that transaction.

Duffy has not returned a request for comment.

The transaction between Duffy and Wright — which government officials on Wednesday said Harper didn’t know about until Tuesday night — is being reviewed by the federal ethics watchdog. The Senate ethics officer has declined to comment.