Article content continued

The invitations were sent by Heather Zordel, a member of Leitch’s fundraising committee and another well-known lawyer who is a partner with Toronto firm Gardiner Roberts LLP. She specializes in corporate finance and securities regulation.

The fundraiser for Leitch, an Ontario MP and pediatric orthopedic surgeon, will take place at First Canadian Place in downtown Toronto, with a suggested donation of $500 a person. It is not mentioned on Leitch’s events page on her campaign website.

“Kellie is a person of remarkable accomplishments, for whom Stanley, my fellow Committee members and I are proud to campaign,” Zordel says in the email invite, a copy of which was obtained by the Ottawa Citizen.

“She exemplifies hard-work, compassion and achievement. Conservatives can be confident in Kellie to be the very best of this new generation of leadership of the party and our country.”

Zordel and Nick Kouvalis, Leitch’s campaign manager, could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Fellow leadership hopefuls are quietly growing tired of what they say is Leitch’s hypocrisy in her criticisms of other candidates for being elites and out of touch.

She has raised the most money so far, collecting $450,421.56 as of Sept. 30, slightly ahead of Maxime Bernier, with $427,508.72, according to Elections Canada data.

She is also being criticized for her focus on identity politics and promise to screen immigrants, refugees and visitors for “anti-Canadian values.”

But Leitch says the other candidates’ refusal to screen newcomers with a values test shows theyare out of touch with Canadians.

jfekete@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/jasonfekete