Vision Montreal's Benoit Labonte says he is the target of a smear campaign after a report that he received more than $100,000 from businessman Tony Accurso to finance his leadership bid in spring 2008.
Accurso is the businessman whose yacht former executive city council president Frank Zampino admitted to vacationing on in the Caribbean during the tender process for the city's $355 million water meter contract.
A report in ruefrontenac.com, a website produced by locked-out Le Journal journalists, said Labonte met Accurso in May 2008 and accepted a $100,000 boost in a bid to become the city's mayor.
The backbone of Vision Montreal's political campaign has been cleaning up city hall, therefore the accusations could be damaging come election day Nov. 1.
Labonte denies the accusations, saying he only met Accurso once at a cocktail party in 2006, and is threatening to sue ruefrontenac.com.
"I think a lot of people on the other side would like to keep their job, and they will do anything to keep their job. It's a smearing campaign," said Labonte Friday.
The city responded by saying they would let Labonte dig himself out of the accusations.
