Mike Duffy trial begins

More than two years after the Senate expense scandal erupted in Ottawa, the trial of suspended Senator Mike Duffy is set to begin today.

Duffy faces 31 charges including fraud, breach of trust and bribery.  In the early days of this scandal, the Conservative government seemed to support Duffy’s claims about his living expenses.

But as more details were revealed, Duffy’s claims about where he was living and what he was expensing became harder to justify, and the government — particularly the Prime Minister’s Office — distanced itself from the former journalist.  Duffy’s lawyer is expected to attack the behaviour of key figures from the PMO and party circles.

The trial is expected to get so much media attention that an overflow courtroom with video monitors has been set up to accommodate the number of reporters who will be there.