On October 31, a Liberal Party appeals committee exonerated Volpe of improper membership sales, and withdrew the fine imposed the previous month. He was found guilty of a minor breach of the leadership candidates' code of conduct, and given a nominal fine of $1,000. Volpe accepted the ruling as vindication, and repeated his charge that the previous ruling had a prejudicial effect on delegate selection. He told reporters, "I can't say I'm ecstatic because the damage has already been done". Volpe's reputation in the Liberal Party, damaged by earlier controversies, recovered to some extent after the appeal.