The Progressive Conservatives’ former campaign chair says he “carefully reviewed” the 2016 allegations that Doug Ford purchased party memberships to help his preferred candidate win the PC nomination in Etobicoke Centre and was “completely satisfied” Ford did nothing wrong.Walied Soliman was the party’s campaign chair under former leader Patrick Brown during a bitter nomination dispute on Ford family turf between the riding’s former candidate, Pina Martino, and Kinga Surma, who ultimately won the nomination. At the time Martino accused Ford and Surma of duping people into party memberships in order to rig the vote. On Thursday, the Liberal party released an audio recording of Ford recruiting members with Surma at an Etobicoke Tim Hortons. In it, he appears to be telling patrons that party memberships are free.Voting in nomination contests is only open to party members, who pay a $10 membership fee.The Liberals also released an affidavit Martino sent to PC party officials in which she lists dozens of people she says she met while canvassing the riding who claimed they had not paid for their membership or, in some cases, had no idea they were members at all. Martino also accused Ford of trying to intimidate her by following her in his car. Ford has denied all of the allegations.At the time of the nomination, Soliman was a member of the party’s Provincial Nominations Committee, which dealt with Martino’s complaint.Read more:Opinion | Martin Regg Cohn: Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals struggle to stay airborneIn provincial election, battle lines drawn over minimum wage and good jobsFour parties are making big promises on transit. What’s a commuter to do?“I was then and remain now completely satisfied with the process that elected Kinga Surma as our candidate,” he wrote on Friday in response to emailed questions. “I was also aware of the support Doug Ford provided and was satisfied that it w ...
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