Rebel News loses bid to quash fines for violating election law on third-party ads

OTTAWA — The Federal Court of Appeal has dismissed Rebel News Network’s latest bid to quash $3,000 in fines levied against the right-wing media outlet by the commissioner of elections.

The fines were imposed in 2021 after an investigation by the commissioner’s office into lawn signs erected by Rebel News during the 2019 federal election campaign, ostensibly to promote a new book by Rebel founder Ezra Levant.

The signs urged people to buy the book, entitled “The Libranos: What the media won’t tell you about Justin Trudeau’s corruption.”

The signs featured the book’s cover art — a drawing of Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, surrounded by some ministers and top advisers, that was made to resemble promotional art for “The Sopranos,” a popular TV show about gangsters.

The elections commissioner concluded the lawn signs constituted election advertising since they were clearly intended to oppose a registered party and its leader in the midst of the campaign.

Rebel was fined $1,500 for failing to register as a third party during the campaign and another $1,500 for failing to include a legally required tag line on the lawn signs to identify who was behind them.

In 2023, the Federal Court dismissed Rebel News’ application for a judicial review of the decision, prompting the company to take its case to the Federal Court of Appeal.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 10, 2025.

The Canadian Press staff