TORONTO -- Former finance minister Bill Morneau unintentionally violated a section of the Canada Elections Act in the lead-up to the last federal election when he promoted several prospective Liberal candidates in his role as minister, according to the commissioner of Canada elections.

In a press release Thursday, Commissioner of Canada Elections Yves Cote said Morneau participated in a series of "department-supported events" in his official capacity as finance minister during the pre-election period for the 2019 election.

The pre-election period is a specified time period before an election is called, during which some political activities are restricted – including spending limits and reporting obligations.

"In addition to community and business leaders, there were prospective Liberal Party of Canada (LPC) candidates in attendance at the events, which were held in the electoral districts of Oakville and Dufferin—Caledon," the release said. "Mr. Morneau promoted these prospective candidates, which caused the expenses related to those events to benefit the LPC."

Under the act, Cote said federal ministers are prohibited from using public resources and funds from their departmental budgets for partisan purposes.

"Mr. Morneau's failure to exercise due diligence therefore resulted in a circumvention of the rule at section 363 of the Canada Elections Act (the Act), and therefore, a contravention of paragraph 368(1)(a)" the officer noted.

In a copy of the commissioner’s findings, which was posted online Thursday morning, the officer said Morneau promoted prospective Liberal candidate Anita Anand at several events he attended in his official capacity as finance minister in Oakville in July.

The next month, he was photographed with another prospective Liberal candidate, Michele Fisher, during a tour of the Caledon area. He later shared the photo on his social media.

"Introducing and promoting prospective LPC candidates at the events, promoted the LPC's electoral prospects in these electoral districts. This caused the expenses related to these events to benefit the LPC," the findings state.

However, the commissioner also noted that there is "no indication" that the former finance minister intended to break the Act, and that Morneau’s electoral district repaid the over $1,600 associated with the events he attended.

"Mr. Morneau and his office cooperated fully and in good faith with the Commissioner's investigation," the commissioner wrote, laying out the mitigating factors considered in deciding Morneau’s punishment.

Morneau has been issued a $300 fine — representing $150 per tour. The former finance minister must also display a link to the findings on the home page of his personal website, or on his Facebook and Twitter.

"Failure to comply with any provision of this undertaking may result in the Commissioner issuing a notice of violation imposing an administrative monetary penalty against Mr. Morneau," the notice read.

DECISION COMES AS WE CONTROVERSY FALLOUT CONTINUES

This isn't the only time Morneau has found himself in hot water in recent weeks.

A decision to grant WE Charity a now-cancelled contract to deliver a grant program for students came under fire after the charity's ties to Trudeau and the former finance minister's families were revealed.

Multiple members of Trudeau’s family had been paid thousands for attending WE Charity events. Meanwhile, WE Charity paid in part for two trips that members of Morneau's family took in 2017 — one of which Morneau himself took part in.

Morneau apologized for the "error" and said it was his full intention to cover the full cost of the trips — though he only in late July repaid the $41,000 the charity had initially covered related to the trips to Kenya and Ecuador. The former finance minister's daughter Clare has also spoken at WE events, and his daughter Grace is currently employed by WE Charity.

In the wake of the scandal, Morneau resigned as both finance minister and as a member of Parliament — though he would not directly attribute the decision to the WE controversy.

POLITICAL REACTION

Most opposition MPs are attempting to frame the Election Act violation as a pattern of behaviour for Morneau, who no longer sits as an MP.

"Once again, another Trudeau Liberal has been found guilty of breaking the law," Conservative MP Micheal Barrett, the party's ethics critic, said in a statement emailed to CTVNews.ca

"Whether it's ethics violations or elections violations, the Liberals clearly don’t think the law applies to them."

The NDP’s ethics critic, Charlie Angus, took to Twitter shortly after the news broke to express similar frustrations.

"Lord almighty it is so hard to keep track of all of [Bill Morneau]'s ethical violations and bad judgement calls," Angus tweeted.

"Sorry Bill but the rules apply to even the powerful."