TORONTO -- A former Ontario premier's aide who is facing charges in connection with the destruction of government documents is using a crowdsourcing website to try to raise $100,000 for her legal defence.
Laura Miller, who was Dalton McGuinty's deputy chief of staff, and former chief of staff David Livingston were charged last month with breach of trust and mischief over the deletion of emails related to the Liberal government's move to cancel two gas plants, at a cost of up to $1.1 billion.
Police alleged in court documents that Livingston and Miller spent $10,000 to hire Miller's partner, Peter Faist, a computer expert who was given a special password by Livingston to wipe clean at least 20 hard drives in the premier's office.
Both Miller and Livingston have denied the charges.
Former deputy Ontario premier Dwight Duncan is among those who have contributed to Miller's defence fund on fundrazr.com, donating $500 "as reaffirmation of my view that you have been wrongly accused."
Miller says the once-private fundraising effort was created after friends and family offered to contribute to her legal defence, and was never intended to be a public campaign.
However, Miller says she's "deeply grateful for the kind notes of encouragement" and the contributions to her defence fund, which total over $18,000 as of this morning.
Miller went to work for the British Columbia Liberals after McGuinty left office, but she quit her job as executive director of the B.C. party in December when the charges were laid.
Several British Columbia Liberals have also contributed to Miller's defence fund, including provincial party president Sharon White, who donated $2,500.
Both Livingston and Miller are scheduled to make their first court appearances in Toronto Jan. 27.
