OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper's aides forced a political ally to repay expenses he was probably entitled to because they wanted a damaging ethics scandal put to an end, Harper's former chief of staff testified on Thursday.
Conservative Senator Michael Duffy is on trial for bribery and abusing expense claims in a high-profile case that could hurt the governing Conservatives in the runup to Canada's Oct. 19 election. The Conservatives, in power since 2006, are seeking a rare fourth consecutive term.