Taras Sokolyk is a former political organizer. He played a prominent role in the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba's 1995 election campaign, in which the party won a majority government.[1]
Once a political organizer in Manitoba, Canada, he served as chief of staff to Progressive Conservative premier Gary Filmon in the 1990s.[2] Sokolyk resigned his post in July 1998 after he was accused of helping to rig the 1995 Provincial Election.[1] In November 1998 Sokolyk admitted that he had improperly used campaign funds in an attempt to split the vote to improve his party's chance of victory.[3] After this admission Filmon claimed that he hadn't known about Sokolyk's actions and blamed him and aide Julian Benson for the vote-rigging scandal.[4]
The Manitoba government refused to pay Sokolyk's legal fees arising from the case[5] and Sokolyk was ultimately not criminally charged in the case.[6] In December 2002 the Progressive Conservatives again hired Sokolyk as a campaign consultant entrusted with research and advising about campaign strategy[7] but fired him less than a month later.[8]
By 2004 Sokolyk was working for hotel chain Canad Inns.[9] By 2008 he had become CEO of the company.[10]
References edit
- ^ a b "Filmon's Chief Quits Amid Controversy". The Calgary Sun. July 24, 1998.
- ^ "Manitoba: Premier's aide quits amid controversy". The Kingston Whig-Standard. July 24, 1998.
- ^ Scott Edmonds (November 3, 1998). "Former Manitoba Tory insider admits using party funds improperly". The Hamilton Spectator.
- ^ "Premier points finger at advisers". Waterloo Region Record. November 5, 1998.
- ^ "Manitoba nixes legal fees at inquiry". North Bay Nugget. January 21, 1999.
- ^ "Filmon aides spared charges". North Bay Nugget. August 13, 1999.
- ^ Frank Landry (December 13, 2002). "Vote-Rigger Rehired - Tory Leader Gives Sokolyk Strategy Contract". Winnipeg Sun.
- ^ "Conservative leader fires aide for second time". Waterloo Region Record. December 27, 2002.
- ^ Tu-Uyen Tran (February 10, 2004). "City OKs Canad Tax Break". Grand Forks Herald.
- ^ Ian Shanley (January 27, 2008). "Hail To The Chief". The Winnipeg Sun.