Internal audit ofScheer's expenses turns up money spent on school, clothes, minivan: CP

An internal audit of outgoing Conservative Leader AndrewScheer's expenses has found he spent $18,000 a year of party moneyon private parochial school for four of his children.

The special examination also determinedScheerspent party fundson hiring an extra housekeeper for the Official Opposition leader's residenceof Stornoway, and on clothes for his family, their minivan and privatesecurity, a senior Conservative source told The Canadian Press.

The audit concluded the spending was properly documented by theparty, though not shared in an itemized way with the small butpowerful group that oversees the Conservatives' finances, known asthe Conservative Fund.

Party spokesman Cory Hann confirmed the audit was finishedandhas been presented to the party.

"The party's audit found no red flags in the party's accountingsystem and noted that all the expenses that were paid out weredocumented fully," he said in an email.

The Conservative Fund, which until recently included former primeminister Stephen Harper on its board, allocates a budget to theleader meant to cover off politically partisan expenses thatwouldn't be paid by the House of Commons.

Clothes for campaigning

Hann said the clothing theScheerfamily expensed was used forcampaign appearances and other party events.

The money for schooling paid the difference between the cost ofprivate parochial school in theScheers' Regina home and that inOttawa.

The source who disclosed details of some of the expenses grantedanonymity by The Canadian Press because they were not authorized todiscuss them publicly said that amounted to $18,000 in total a yearfor the four school-age kids.

WordScheerhad been using his leader's budget to cover hischildren's education emerged as frustration was mounting lastfall overScheer's failure to knock the governing Liberals out ofoffice in the 2019 election, and how he handled the aftermath.

Scheerhad already made the decision to resign when news of hisprivate school bill leaked out, and he announced in mid-Decemberhe'd step aside as soon as a new leader was chosen.

Fundraising struggles

The race is currently on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic,with the planned June 27 election now delayed indefinitely.

Even asScheerdeclared he would go, the furor did not die down.The Conservative Fund remained furious about the spending. Theparty's executive director, who had approved it, was pushed out andan audit was ordered.

The party has also struggled to raise money in the wake of thescandal, with grassroots members pushing back at making donationsthat could be used to payScheer's explicitly personal costs.

Hann was unable to immediately answer questions about whetherScheerwas being asked to pay back any of the money.

A spokesperson forScheersaid they had nothing to add.