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Ottawa lawyer David Bertschi has filed an appeal of the federal Liberal party’s decision to block him from seeking the nomination in the riding of Ottawa-Orléans.

Bertschi had initially been given the “green light” – approval to seek the nomination – by a committee that screens potential candidates. But last month, the national campaign co-chairs, Katie Telford and Dan Gagnier, wrote to Bertschi to inform him the approval had been rescinded.

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The riding association votes to choose a candidate in Ottawa-Orléans on Saturday, but that date could be postponed if an internal Liberal Party of Canada appeals committee decides it needs more time to consider Bertschi’s appeal.

The appeal will be heard by the party’s Permanent Appeals Committee, which is made up of representatives from the provincial affiliates of the federal party and co-chaired by Toronto lawyer James Graham.

Telford and Gagnier said Bertschi hadn’t complied with a plan to pay down outstanding debts from his 2013 bid for the Liberal leadership. There was also a question about whether he had properly informed the green light committee about a defamation action he had launched against a U.S.-based gossip website.