Calgary MLA Devinder Toor fined $15K by Elections Alberta, CFO fined $14K
A Calgary UCP MLA has been fined by Elections Alberta for accepting prohibited contributions, exceeding the nomination spending limit, failing to deposit contributions into the proper account and borrowing money from someone other than a bank.
The fines against Devinder Toor, MLA for Calgary-Falconridge, total $15,000 and are related to the 2018 nomination contest and 2019 provincial election.
The alleged improper donations related to the use of property, which was not declared.
His chief financial officer, Sahib Bhakri, was also fined $14,000 for failing to keep proper records, failing to put the contributions into the proper account, and exceeding the nomination spending limit.
A numbered company, which Toor was a director of, was also fined a total of $4,500 for making improper contributions to his campaign.
Toor issued a statement, saying he believed his campaign finances were filed properly but accepts the ruling and will pay the fine.
"I fully participated in the election commissioner’s investigation, and did so in good faith. I believed that my campaign finances were accurate as filed. But I acknowledge the commissioner’s findings that that was not in fact the case," it read.
"I should have done better to oversee full and complete compliance with the election finance laws. The fault ultimately rests with me. I accept the commissioner’s ruling and punishment as prescribed. I will be paying the fines as dictated."
Alberta's opposition NDP issued a statement on Wednesday calling on Premier Jason Kenney to "send a clear message" and for Toor to resign.
“Mr. Toor must resign, and Jason Kenney needs to eject him immediately from the government caucus for this corrupt behaviour,” said NDP Deputy Leader Sarah Hoffman.
“This is not a simple mistake. These are willful, deliberate breaches of election laws that call into question Mr. Toor’s integrity, and his ability to hold the public’s trust. Albertans should be outraged at this level of sleaziness and corruption in Jason Kenney’s UCP caucus.”
“Jason Kenney must send a clear message that this corrupt behaviour is unacceptable, and he must do it today."
Information on the penalties is available on the Elections Alberta website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.