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OTTAWA — The Liberal Party of Canada temporarily expanded its campaign headquarters during last year’s federal election by renting office space from Canada 2020, a not-for-profit organization founded by long-time partisans with close personal ties to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

According to documents filed with Elections Canada, the Liberals subleased office space from Canada 2020 at 35 O’Connor St., in downtown Ottawa — now occupied by the think-tank — from Aug. 13 to Oct. 19, 2015, so that the party could set up a “volunteer hub” that operated 12 hours a day.

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The documents show the Liberals paid a total of $13,833 to Canada 2020 over that period.

There is nothing in the rules that would prohibit the arrangement. But it is being seen as another example of the close connections between the Liberals and Canada 2020, an organization that styles itself as an independent source of progressive ideas and policies but whose people are intertwined with the governing party and the prime minister.

New Democrat MP Alexandre Boulerice alleged the rental agreement “is the latest piece of evidence that this organization is really an extension of the Liberal party.”

Tom Pitfield, who is president of Canada 2020, was the chief digital strategist for the 2015 Liberal election campaign.

He is also a childhood friend of Trudeau’s and is married to Anna Gainey, the Liberal Party of Canada’s president.