Conservative fundraiser casts doubt on whether all votes were 'accurate and counted' in leaked call

Kate McKenna · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 03, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 hours ago

A caller raising wealth for the Conservative Party formed uncertainty connected the validity of the recount process successful the caller national election, according to a signaling obtained by CBC News.

In the fundraising call, which happened connected Saturday, an authoritative identifying herself arsenic being from the Conservative Party's protagonist services claimed that Liberals and media question to "attack" Conservatives and "scrutinize" the results of 2 judicial recounts won by Conservatives.

Later successful the call, she suggested to a imaginable donor that the results of the recounts were not final.

"We request to basal up. We request to marque definite each the votes are close and counted," she said.

The caller appeared to beryllium referencing 2 choky races that were yet won by Conservatives — the Newfoundland riding of Terra Nova-The Peninsulas and the Ontario riding Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore.

She made the telephone a week aft the judicial recounts finished, and aft some Liberal candidates had conceded their losses.

The telephone was recorded by the recipient, who antecedently supported the Conservative Party of Canada. CBC News is not identifying the donor, who fears reprisal for speaking out. 

He said helium shared the audio from the telephone due to the fact that helium felt frustrated and insulted that the enactment formed uncertainty connected the integrity of the electoral process.

Fundraising strategy

It's not the archetypal clip the Conservatives person sought to fundraise by suggesting Liberals are trying to impact the result of elections aft the ballots were cast.

Shortly aft the election, the enactment sent an email to its mailing database suggesting that their rivals sought to "flip conscionable capable seats to borderline person to a majority" and were trying to "tip the scales" successful the recounts.

"It is portion of a precise communal but unsavoury method to get radical to donate," said Chris Tenove, adjunct manager of the Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions at University of British Columbia. 

"You some ringing an exigency doorbell and accidental urgent backing is needed to code it. And that tin enactment radical into a authorities of caput wherever they're possibly much apt to springiness wealth … large picture, I deliberation this strategy of governmental advertizing is corrosive." 

Conservative spokeswoman Sarah Fischer said successful a connection that the enactment did not question the results, but "wanted to guarantee the recounts were close and fair."

Under Canadian law, recounts are automatically triggered erstwhile the quality successful the fig of votes received by the top-finishing candidates is 0.1 per cent oregon little of the full fig of votes cast.

There are costs for parties and candidates during recounts, and morganatic reasons for parties to assistance scrutinize results. However, the recounts were already implicit astatine the clip of the call, with winners confirmed.

"It made maine wonder, was this an effectual fundraising attack that was utilized successful caller weeks? And this idiosyncratic conscionable isn't acceptable to fto it go?" said Tenove. 

"A fewer weeks ago, it made consciousness that you did request scrutineers and possibly ineligible representatives close determination to beforehand the Conservatives' presumption and the process. It's not astatine each wide wherefore that would beryllium indispensable now." 

A caller Leger canvass recovered that 25 per cent of Conservative supporters said they don't spot the predetermination results. The public's spot successful predetermination results has go a flashpoint successful governmental sermon pursuing the 2021 "stop the steal" question successful the United States, based connected the debunked conspiracy that erstwhile president Joe Biden's triumph was rigged. 

A telephone that backfired 

CBC News has verified the veracity of the audio. The telephone fig associated with the telephone directs to a voicemail connection identifying it arsenic the elector outreach and backing bureau for the Conservative Party of Canada.

The caller is archetypal heard saying hello, and thanking the protagonist for past donations. Then the taxable turns to the recounts.

"We won the 2 large predetermination recounts each crossed the country, but the media liberals are trying to onslaught america and scrutinize the result. So present we person governmental operators connected the ground," she said earlier asking for a $1,750 donation to the "Recount the Fight" fund.

The protagonist questioned what the enactment authoritative was saying, noting that the recounts were completed and the Conservatives won them. 

"I didn't truly similar your message. The recounts are already over. And I don't judge successful a media conspiracy, truthful you're not selling maine today," helium said.

The enactment authoritative doubled down.

"Right now, the Liberal media is attacking us. They're trying to scrutinize our results here. So we request to basal up, we request to marque definite each the votes are close and counted."

"I don't judge that message, I'm sorry," said the erstwhile donor.

Then the enactment authoritative hung up and the enactment went dead.

Fischer said the enactment is looking into the caller's conduct, arsenic they expect respectful and due telephone etiquette from each callers.