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A charitable donation for $5,000, a promise to ignore past missteps– that’s the price asked of The London Free Press for interviews and photos with two defeated former politicians trying to make political comebacks on London city council.

Two members of the so-called Fontana 8 voting bloc from the last city council, both of whom were ousted in 2014 but are running again in the Oct. 22 civic election, responded to Free Press interview requests with conditions one media expert calls “outrageous.”

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Bud Polhill and Stephen Orser separately said they’d agree to be interviewed for a story about political comebacks, but only under their rules.

The Free Press said no.

In Orser’s case, it was a $5,000 donation to the Sisters of St. Joseph – a gift he said he’d match — in exchange for a photo.

The next day, Polhill said he’d participate only if there was no mention of tire purchases he and three other defeated politicians made at his auto shop, and billed to taxpayers, after the last election but before they had left office.