Ex-McGuinty aide Laura Miller raising money for gas-plant defence

A former Ontario premier's senior aide who is facingcriminal charges laid in connection with the alleged destruction ofgovernment documents is using a crowdsourcing website to try toraise $100,000 for her legal defence.

Laura Miller, who had been Dalton McGuinty's deputy chief ofstaff, was charged last month with breach of trust and mischief overthe deletion of emails relating to the Liberal's decision to canceltwo gas-fired electrical generating stations prior to the 2011election.

McGuinty's former chief of staff, David Livingston, was chargedwith the same offences.

Police alleged in court documents that Livingston and Millerhired Miller's partner, Peter Faist a computer expert undercontract to the Ontario Liberal Party who was given a specialpassword by Livingston to wipe clean about 20 hard drives in thepremier's office.

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Both Miller and Livingston have denied the charges, and Millerhas hired high-profile Toronto lawyer Clayton Ruby to defend her.

DwightDuncan donates to Miller's defence

Former deputy Ontario premier Dwight Duncan is among those whohave contributed to Miller's defence fund on fundrazr.com, which waslaunched Dec. 23.

"Please accept this contribution to your legal defence asreaffirmation of my view that you have been wrongly accused,"Duncan posted along with his $500 donation. "I have always knownyou to be a person of great integrity who has committed her life topublic service."

Miller said the once-private fundraising effort was created afterfriends and family offered to contribute to her legal defence, whichhad raised over $18,000 from 30 donors by Tuesday morning. Many ofthe donations were anonymous.

Miller 'deeply grateful' for contributions

"It was never intended to be a public campaign," Miller said inan email to The Canadian Press. "I am deeply grateful for the kindnotes of encouragement, the generous contributions in support, andeverything in-between."

Miller went to work for the British Columbia Liberals afterMcGuinty left office in February 2013, helping the party win the2013 provincial election, but she quit her job as executive directorof the B.C. party in December when the charges were laid.

Several British Columbia Liberals have also contributed toMiller's defence fund, including provincial party president SharonWhite, who donated $2,500.

Both Livingston and Miller are scheduled to make their firstcourt appearances in Toronto on Jan. 27.

It was the Liberal government's initial refusal to hand over gasplant documents to the Ontario legislature's justice committee thatsparked a contempt debate that eventually forced McGuinty to resignunder a cloud of scandal. But police said the former premier wasnever the target of their investigation into the deleted gas plantemails.

Ontario's auditor general determined that cancelling the gasplants in Mississauga and Oakville and building them elsewhere willcost ratepayers up to $1.1 billion, prompting the opposition partiesto call the decision "an expensive Liberal seat-saver campaign."

Premier Kathleen Wynne used the Liberal majority to shut downlegislative committee hearings into the deleted documents last yearbefore Miller and Faist could be called to face questions about thewiping of the hard drives in the premier's office.