Evidence Lacking to Officially Probe Alleged Beijing Interference in Kenny Chiu Defeat: Elections Watchdog

The federal elections regulator says it found insufficient evidence to open a formal investigation into alleged Beijing interference in the 2021 election. The review focused on an alleged China-linked disinformation campaign in a British Columbia riding where former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu was defeated. The Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections (OCCE) announced the conclusion in a memorandum submitted to the foreign interference inquiry on Sept. 17. Investigators said that they did not find enough evidence to reach the threshold for initiating an investigation under the Canada Elections Act, and recommended that the review be concluded. “Although the information received during this review leads to suspect that attempts to influence the Chinese Canadian diaspora existed, at no time did investigators obtain sufficient evidence to support any of the elements of undue foreign influence or other contraventions as defined by the Act,” investigators wrote in the review....