Freeland Disputes Fundraising Numbers, Claims $600,000 Haul

Chrystia Freeland's Liberal Leadership Campaign Disputes Fundraising Numbers

Chrystia Freeland's Liberal leadership campaign is disputing the fundraising numbers released by Elections Canada, claiming they don't accurately reflect the campaign's true haul. The data, which covers the period ending February 9th, shows Freeland raised just over $226,661, placing her behind presumed front-runner Mark Carney and candidates Karina Gould and Frank Baylis.

However, Freeland's campaign spokesperson, Katherine Cuplinskas, insists the campaign has actually raised around $600,000 from over 2,000 contributions. The discrepancy arises from the way the Liberal party handles donations. Campaigns can either receive donations directly or allow the party to hold onto them. Freeland's campaign opted for the latter, which means some contributions weren't captured in the latest data because the party hadn't remitted them during the reporting period.

Freeland's campaign also claims they chose this method to avoid credit card and wire transfer fees. The campaign had to scramble for donations during the first leg of the race to cover the $350,000 entry fee, which was due on Monday. Freeland's entry fee would have come from the pool of funds held by the party.

Liberal party spokesperson Parker Lund confirmed that the party sometimes withholds funds, but didn't comment on Freeland's specific situation. He explained that the party can withhold part or all of a contribution to cover contest fees or other administrative expenses. In these cases, the campaign doesn't report the withheld contribution.

Meanwhile, Karina Gould's campaign is pleased with its fundraising performance, which shows them bringing in $236,075. "The latest fundraising numbers confirm what we've been feeling on the ground – our momentum is growing each day," said campaign spokesperson Emily Jackson.

Montreal businessman Frank Baylis raised $227,441, while candidate Ruby Dhalla came in last with $144,880.

Mark Carney, the presumed front-runner, continues to woo party members with a campaign swing through southern Ontario. He held two fundraisers on Tuesday in Mississauga and Brampton, with two more scheduled for Wednesday in Toronto and Woodbridge. Carney has already held fundraisers in Vancouver and Ottawa.

Freeland's team says it has held nearly ten fundraisers so far, while Gould has not held any such events to date.

The next batch of fundraising data will be released just a few days before the vote on March 9th. This will provide a clearer picture of the candidates' financial standing heading into the final stretch of the race.