Conservative Party fines former leadership candidate Patrick Brown

Former federal Conservative leadership candidate Patrick Brown has been fined by the party for issues around financing irregularities, according to a senior party source.

The source said that Brown — who was recently re-elected mayor of Brampton, Ont. — was told last week he would be fined a total of $100,000, or the total amount of the compliance deposit each candidate had to submit to the party to enter the leadership race.

The news was first reported by the Toronto Star.

When reached by CBC News, Brown's communications director Gary Collins did not address the fine. Instead Collins called on the Conservative party to return donations to members Brown signed up during his leadership bid.

"These donations were made in the spring and were intended to support a candidate intent on making the party more progressive and more moderate. It is wrong for the party to keep these donations," Collins said in a statement.

Party ejected Brown from leadership contest

The party ejected Brown from the leadership race just two months before it was set to choose its next leader.

At the time the party cited "serious allegations of wrongdoing" related to financing rules, which it referred to the commissioner of Canada Elections.

The party said at the time that the decision to disqualify Brown was based on a recommendation from its chief returning officer. A dispute resolution appeals committee had to decide whether the officer possessed the evidence to recommend his removal.

It said evidence included allegations that Brown allowed more than 500 non-compliant membership sales.