Mayor calls alleged election fundraising issues 'extremely troubling,' official complaint launched
Calgary's current mayor says the allegations levelled against the campaign for a candidate hoping to replace him are "deeply troubling" if true as the city's election nears. There are accusations that Jeff Davison's mayoral campaign coordinated with a third-party advertiser (TPA) in hosting a golf tournament fundraiser.
An official complaint has now been launched with Elections Alberta against Davison's team.
"These allegations, if true, are extremely troubling," Mayor Naheed Nenshi said.
"They are a violation of the spirit of the law as well as potentially a violation of the law itself."
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."
"The reason we'd be concerned about cooperation between a campaign and a third party advertiser is the worry that the campaign is using this as a way to get around the ban on corporate or union contributions," said Lisa Young, a political scientist with the University of Calgary.
"One of the things that worried me is the idea that the third party that was inviting to the golf tournament was offering that, for a $10,000 contribution, you could be the person or the group that's offering the questions of the candidate. That suggested that the candidate was going to be there," Young said.
Davison's campaign did not respond to a request from CTV News for an interview or statement.
'IT'S ABOUT TRUST'
Jan Damery, another mayoral candidate in the upcoming municipal election, filed the complaint to Elections Alberta last week.
"We were seeing on distribution lists that were widely public what appeared to be a violation of campaign rules," Damery said.
"It's about trust, it's about integrity and it's about leadership -- and I'm really questioning the leadership of this campaign and this councillor," she said.
Jan Damery, July 27, 2021 in Calgary, Alberta
Elections Alberta does not publicly comment on investigations it may or may not be conducting.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
DEVELOPING Live updates from the Trump hush money trial: Stormy Daniels, bookkeeper testify
Adult film star Stormy Daniels is on the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Boeing 737 catches fire and skids off the runway at a Senegal airport, injuring 10 people
A Boeing 737-300 plane carrying 85 people skidded off a runway at the airport in Dakar, Senegal's capital, injuring 10 people, according to the transport minister, an airline safety group and footage from a passenger that showed the aircraft on fire.
Breast cancer screening should start at age 40, Canadian Cancer Society says
The Canadian Cancer Society says all provinces and territories should lower the starting age for breast cancer screening to 40.
Man accused of killing two children at Quebec daycare to stand trial in April 2025
The man accused of murdering two children and injuring six others after a city bus crashed into a Montreal-area daycare is scheduled to stand trial over five weeks beginning in April 2025.