B.C. Liberal Leader Kevin Falcon and two others who contested the party’s leadership race have been fined for the late filing of their campaign finance reports.
The financial report filing deadline for the 2022 leadership contest was May 6.
Elections BC said reports for contestants Kevin Falcon, Val Litwin and Renee Merrifield were not received by the deadline. They may file by June 6, 2022 with a $500 late filing fee.
Merrifield's campaign manager Rob Murphy said the return was prepared some time ago but explained there were problems securing an available auditor, whose report is necessary to submit to Elections BC.
"We have now secured an auditor and while we have submitted our return in draft, our audited return will be submitted in due course," Murphy said.
BC Liberal Party director of communications David Wasyluk said due to the busy post leadership schedule for both Falcon and the campaign’s financial agent, the filing deadline was extended.
"It will be completed by June 6," Wasyluk said.
None of the rest were immediately reached for comment.
Falcon won the contest in February.
Elections BC said reports for Gavin Dew, Michael Lee and Ellis Ross were received by the deadline.
Stan Sipos was granted an extension to the filing deadline due to extenuating circumstances. His report is now due on June 6, 2022.
Leadership contestant financing reports must detail political contributions accepted; contestant expenses incurred, including a summary of advertising expenses by class; transfers of money, goods or services received and given; fundraising function information; other income received and expenditures made; and loans and guarantees.
What’s in the reports?
Details of contributors are available in each of the would-be leader’s reports.
Lee’s campaign’s total income was $621,709, with expenses of $641,645.
Well-known Lee contributors included Lynne Kennedy, former MLA Mary McNeil, Stephen Rogers, former Chetwynd mayor Evan Saugstad and former MLA Ralph Sultan.
The Ross campaign took in $502,211 and spent $514,311.
High-profile contributors included former MLA Suzanne Anton, Prince George lawyer Lee Ongman, Richard Peck, Saugstad, Kelowna-West MLA Ben Stewart and former Vancouver mayor and past Vancouver-False Creek MLA Sam Sullivan.
Dew’s campaign income was $135,850, with expenses of $134,746.
Notable Dew contributors included Sultan, Vancouver lawyer Wesley Mussio and businessman Gordon Diamond.
