B.C. Liberals to refund $93K worth of improperly reported donations
Some were 'indirect contributions' and others were 'clerical errors,' the party says
The British Columbia Liberal Party says it has found 43 so-called indirect donations worth almost $93,000, which it plans to reimburse.
The RCMP is already investigating possible violations of the B.C. Elections Act related to indirect donations made to the Liberal party.
A statement from the B.C. Liberal Party says since March 3 it has been reviewing contributions made to the party since 2011, as required under the Elections Act.
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They say in all 43 cases, a personal credit card was used on behalf of an organization and that money was then paid back by the organization they represented — a violation of the Elections Act.
The B.C. Liberal Party says 30 additional individuals came forward to the party to report "clerical errors" where a contributor was listed as an individual instead of their employer.
B.C.'s chief electoral officer, Keith Archer, announced earlier this month that he was handing over a review of similar allegations to the RCMP to ensure fairness as Elections B.C. prepares for the May 9 election.