Sager spent greater than $93,000 on his marketing campaign, practically twice the $50,880 former mayor and candidate Mary-Ann Sales space spent
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The choice by Elections B.C. to ahead West Vancouver Mayor Mark Sager’s marketing campaign financing disclosure assertion to police for evaluate doesn’t occur usually.
“On a Canada-wide foundation, it will probably occur yearly or two,” stated Stewart Prest, a political science lecturer on the College of B.C. “It occurs every now and then, however it’s actually one thing noteworthy when it rises to the extent for an RCMP investigation of potential prison exercise.”
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Elections B.C. stated final week that after it discovered “spending irregularities,” and contacted the RCMP, which referred the file on Sager’s marketing campaign financing disclosure report back to the Port Moody Police.
Andrew Watson, Elections B.C.’s senior director of communications, stated this week he wasn’t in a position to give particulars why Sager’s file was forwarded to the police.
“Whether or not or not we determine to ahead a file is dependent upon elements like our capability, which laws is concerned, and the details of the case,” Watson stated in an e-mail.
The final time Elections B.C. referred a case to the RCMP was in 2017 for an investigation into oblique political donations that turned out to be made by lobbyists, who have been later reimbursed however which contravenes the elections act. Later that yr, the B.C. NDP launched a invoice that banned donations from companies and unions and restricted private contributions to $1,200 a yr per occasion or candidate.
Elections B.C. investigated 146 circumstances of potential contraventions of elections legislation associated to the 2022 civic elections, of which 58 resulted in administrative penalties.
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Sager stated he first discovered of the investigation final week and was shocked that alleged “irregularities” are beneath police investigation.
On Tuesday, he stated he known as Port Moody police, and his monetary agent has known as Elections B.C., however neither has additional particulars.
“I can’t say something as a result of I don’t know any extra,” stated Sager. “It’s certain not enjoyable. It’s a horrible feeling.”
Elections B.C.’s data present Sager raised just below $87,000 from 96 donors.
Every particular person donation was beneath the utmost allowable quantity of $1,250, however one donation beneath the title Mark Sager is listed as having donated $2,400.
“It’s an anomaly,” stated Prest. “By means of comparability, in case you take a look at Ken Sim’s report, all the pieces is $1,250 or much less. There could also be an harmless rationalization for it…these reviews are often amended, so perhaps it’s a case the place one thing must be amended, however I’d say it’s value asking a query about.”
Sager spent greater than $93,000 on his marketing campaign, in line with finance reviews launched in February, which is almost twice the $50,880 former mayor and candidate Mary-Ann Sales space spent, in line with the North Shore Information.
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Elections B.C. capped spending for the marketing campaign interval between Sept. 17 and Oct. 15 at simply above $34,000, throughout which Sager’s marketing campaign recorded bills of $33,000.
Elections B.C. requires that bills earlier than and in the course of the marketing campaign interval, corresponding to signage, should be recorded in each durations. It additionally requires that providers and contributions should be recorded at full market worth.
In September, Sager filed to Elections B.C. an modification to his marketing campaign report that flagged a “prohibited contribution” of over $1,087 in discounted skilled providers from marketing consultant John Moonen and Associates and which was spent earlier than the marketing campaign interval, in line with the North Shore Information. Sager stated he paid again the cash.
Individually, in December 2022, the Legislation Society of B.C. alleged that lawyer Sager dedicated skilled misconduct when dealing with a will between 2010 and 2020, taking cash from the property with out authorization. Its disciplinary listening to will likely be heard in March 2024.
Previous to this, Sager confronted knowledgeable misconduct allegation from the Legislation Society in 2018 and was discovered responsible and fined $20,000 in 2020.
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— With a file from Canadian Press
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