Last week, the Globe and Mail published an article reporting that lobbyists in BC have been buying tickets to Liberal Party fundraisers for corporate clients and receiving reimbursements for those purchases.
Elections BC is now reviewing information regarding “indirect political contributions” and other potential contraventions of the Election Act.
Specifically, two sections of the Act may have been violated:
Section 186 of the Election Act outlines restrictions on making political contributions, including prohibiting indirect political contributions (that is, making a contribution with the money, property or services of another).
Section 190 requires financial agents to record specific information about each contribution, including the class of each contributor. The classes are identified as individuals, corporations, unincorporated organizations engaged in business or commercial activity, trade unions, non-profit organizations and other contributors.
Keith Archer, Elections BC’s Chief Elections Officer released this statement today:
“These alleged contraventions include indirect political contributions and making or accepting political contributions improperly. Elections BC takes any potential contravention of the Election Act seriously and will be investigating this matter further.
The scope of Elections BC’s investigation into this matter is open-ended and will depend on how our review progresses. Following our investigation, this matter may be forwarded to the Criminal Justice Branch of the Ministry of Justice if it appears that the Election Act has been contravened.
The penalties upon conviction for violating the election financing provisions of the Election Act are a fine of not more than $10,000, imprisonment for a term of not longer than one year, or both.”