Former political attache to Quebec premier Pauline Marois pleads guilty

MONTREAL – A former political aide to ex-Quebec premier Pauline Marois has pleaded guilty to counselling a criminal offence that was not committed.

Ernest Murray was part of a group of seven people, including former deputy Quebec premier Nathalie Normandeau, who were arrested in 2016 and charged with fraud-related offences.

Murray pleaded guilty today to sending an email to an engineering firm with names of people he claimed were willing to be used in a scheme to violate campaign finance laws.

His defence lawyer Mathieu Camirand says sentencing arguments are scheduled to take place at the end of August.

Normandeau and five other co-accused in the case were not permitted to have a preliminary inquiry and will head straight to trial.

The allegations against her include conspiracy, corruption, breach of trust and fraud in a scheme in which political financing and gifts were allegedly exchanged for lucrative government contracts between 2000 and 2012.