Jeff Davison responds to allegations his campaign is tied to third-party advertising
A Calgary city councillor and mayoral candidate had some impolite words Wednesday in response to allegations his campaign is coordinating with a third-party advertiser, in violation of election laws.
Email invites to a golf tournament were sent out earlier this month by a TPA called Calgary Tomorrow. It asked for individuals and companies to sign up for the event and pledge to sponsor the fundraiser. A $10,000 'Title Sponsor' package includes the opportunity to "ask Jeff Davison questions in Q&A at (the) event," while a $5,000 package includes breakfast with Davison on the day of the tournament.
According to the Local Authorities Election Act, campaigns are not allowed to accept money from corporations or unions. TPAs are allowed, the act states, but those groups are not allowed to coordinate with campaigns to accept corporate and union donations on their behalf.
At the bottom of the golf tournament invite, it states that the "Proceeds from the tournament will be used to conduct election advertising in support of Jeff Davison’s run for mayor."
An official complaint has been launched with Elections Alberta against Jeff Davison's team.
Davison, who represents Ward 6 and is running for mayor in the October civic vote, held a press conference, where he called the allegation, "bulls**t."
"Voters deserve campaign financing that is fair and transparent. For me, this has actually become very personal. I'm a husband, I'm a father of three, I've been in business 20 years, and I've been a city councillor for four," said Davison.
"To simply roll over and have some bulls**t claim made about my integrity and my ethics is unacceptable."
Davison said the complaint is "based on the actions of an overly-enthusiastic volunteer."
"We take this action obviously seriously, and have taken steps to ensure it won't happen again. My campaign has worked diligently to operate within the rules and we will continue to do so. We will work with Elections Alberta to make sure any complaint against this campaign is resolved immediately," he said.
"And I actually agree with the mayor's statement the other day, these elections rules are messy and overly complex. They're actually complex for no reason, I don't think anybody likes them. But the issue here is that Calgarians are concerned about dark money being used to impact the outcome of this election, and I get that and I agree and we need to ensure total transparency."
On Tuesday, Mayor Naheed Nenshi, who is not running for re-election, called the allegations, "extremely troubling."
Davison said third-party advertisers aren't new.
"We know right now that despite their protests, other campaigns are in discussions and are accepting the support of third-party advertisers," he said.
"Political opponents make baseless accusations when a candidate is gaining ground as a front-runner and that's nothing more than what's happening here. When public trust is already low, it's disappointing that campaigns play self-serving political games that undermine our very democracy."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.