CALGARY—Alberta’s election commissioner has hired a retired Edmonton police detective with extensive expertise in fraud and money laundering to dig into allegations illegal donations fuelled a “kamikaze” campaign in the 2017 United Conservative Party leadership race.

StarMetro has learned Ken Brander, who served 25 years with the Edmonton Police Service and now heads a private consulting firm, has contacted and interviewed people who may have known about an alleged scheme to run Jeff Callaway as a stalking horse candidate to discredit former Wildrose Party leader Brian Jean, allowing Jason Kenney to stay above the fray.

When reached, Brander declined to comment on the investigation, directing interview requests to the Office of the Election Commissioner.

The office did not respond to calls Friday, but election commissioner Lorne Gibson previously told StarMetro he could not disclose whether a complaint has been filed or an investigation has been launched.

Under Alberta’s Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act, any penalty, fine or reprimand is eventually published online.

StarMetro sources have confirmed they have been in contact with Brander.

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After leaving EPS in 2014, Brander founded Clarium Fraud and Compliance Solutions Ltd., where he serves as president and principal consultant. As a detective, Brander specialized in investigating fraud and economic crime, money laundering, and organized crime, according to his company.

Brander also investigated corruption and terrorist financing in Afghanistan and worked with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime on the Malawi “Cashgate” scandal that saw millions looted from government coffers.

The alleged plot to run Callaway as a “kamikaze” candidate was detailed in a leaked audio recording in which Wendy Adam, a veteran conservative organizer, describes how Callaway’s campaign will be used to undermine Jean’s bid.

“The reason that we’re running Jeff (Callaway) as a serious campaign is because Jeff will be able to say things about Brian Jean that Jason Kenney cannot.”

“It’s a kamikaze mission,” said one unidentified man.

“Exactly,” said Adam.

Callaway, the former president of the Wildrose Party, was highly critical of Jean during the leadership contest before he dropped out of the race and endorsed Kenney, who went on to capture nearly two-thirds of the vote and now helms the UCP.

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Adam has refused to comment on the recording. Callaway has dismissed accusations his campaign was used to target Jean.

A Nov. 30 complaint filed with the election commissioner alleges donations made to the Callaway campaign came from people who used money from at least one political action committee, or PAC.

In Alberta, an individual can only donate their own money to a leadership campaign. Contravening the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act can result in a $10,000 fine.

The allegations in the complaint are similar to ones made by independent MLA Prab Gill in the Alberta legislature on Dec. 6, when he alleged $40,000 “in very suspicious donations” were made through a PAC to a candidate who attacked Jean.

The complaint to the election commissioner suggests investigators examine contributions made by more than a dozen people, including Hardyal “Happy” Singh Mann. Financial disclosure records show Mann and two of his relatives each contributed $3,000 to Callaway’s campaign.

Mann, who was barred from running in the UCP’s Calgary-Falconridge nomination race, declined to comment about his donation on the advice of his lawyer, but welcomed the opportunity to speak with investigators if they approached him.

He also offered to sign an affidavit including details he attended a July 2017 meeting at Callaway’s house where he alleges Kenney and his campaign manager John Weissenberger discussed the plan to use Callaway and how to fund the campaign.

In a previous statement, Weissenberger acknowledged a meeting occurred, but Kenney’s leadership team was solely focused on its own fundraising efforts and that it fully complied with all laws and regulations.

Weissenberger and UCP executive director Janice Harrington have both dismissed the allegations as false and politically motivated.

Harrington said Friday that the UCP has not been contacted by investigators.

Correction — December 21, 2018: This story has been edited from a previous version that mistakenly said Brian Mason was the former Wildrose Party leader. In fact, Brian Jean was the former leader.

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