The bribery case against Premier Kathleen Wynne’s former deputy chief of staff and a local party fundraiser has been dismissed.

Pat Sorbara and Gerry Lougheed had been accused of offering would-be candidate Andrew Olivier a job or appointment to step aside for the premier’s preferred candidate in the 2015 Sudbury byelection.

But Judge Howard Borenstein granted a directed verdict application for the charges tob be dismissed before the defence even called witnesses.

The judge ruled Olivier never could have been the candidate because Kathleen Wynne had already decided to appoint former NDP MP Glenn Thibeault.

He says that means Sorbara and Lougheed could not be found guilty on bribery charges under the Election Act.

The Ontario Liberal Party in a statement says ”We have always been confident that once the facts surrounding this situation were known, a court would conclude that there was no wrongdoing.”

The Liberals also say they welcome Sorbara back to the campaign team for next year’s election.