Liberal byelection bribery scandal trial: Day 3

The trial into allegations of bribery during the 2015 Sudbury byelection continues today, with several key members of the Liberal party expected to testify.

Former party executive director Simon Tunstall was on the witness stand for the entire morning session, recalling how he warned the party of a "backlash" in Sudbury if Andrew Olivier wasn't the Liberal candidate for the byelection.

He also said that he "had to look up" who Glenn Thibeault was, when his name first emergedas a candidate and then was "shocked" that the party was pulling off such a "coup" to get the popular New Democrat MP to defect.

The court is also expecting to hear this week from Aaron St. Pierre, Olivier's former campaign manager.

The crown has read a list of 17 witnesses it plans to call over the next three weeks, including former Laurentian University president and incoming Sudbury hospital CEO Dominic Giroux, former Sudbury Liberal MPP Rick Bartolucci and current Liberal MPP Thibeault.

Premier Kathleen Wynne is expected to testify on Wednesday.

For the full list of witnesses, see Friday's story.

• The Sudbury byelection scandal: what you need to know before the trial