Why this Sudbury, Ont. councillor's election campaign finances are being audited

An auditor is currently looking into Greater Sudbury Ward 11 councillor Bill Leduc's election campaign finances following allegations that he contravened the Municipal Elections Act.

Anastasia Rioux, a Ward 11 resident, was stopping by a gas station in Minnow Lake last September when she first saw a promotional poster for a Grandparents' day event. 

"It piqued my curiosity because there seemed to be different posters floating around for the same event," she said. 

Grandparents' day was an event held at a retirement residence in Sudbury on September 11, 2022, a few weeks before municipal elections.

"It had city dollars attached to it," said Rioux. 

"But it became evidently clear that it was an opportunity for Ward 11 councillor Bill Leduc to campaign for re-election." 

Rioux decided to bring this matter to the City of Greater Sudbury's election compliance audit committee on April 27. 

The line between councillor and candidate

She submitted videos captured by attendees during the event showing displays of election campaign materials, such as posters and branded clothing and cars.

The footage also shows Leduc being credited for purchasing food and prizes for the event.

When questioned about this by the committee, Leduc admitted he paid for the prizes with his own personal funds. 

I think it's important to bring this to light, so that in the future, we don't have councillors campaigning at events they shouldn't be campaigning at.- Anastasia Rioux, resident of Ward 11

The cost of the items and the expenses related to the event were not recorded in his campaign's financial statement.

That omission was a mistake, according to the election compliance audit committee. 

"The committee is of the opinion that [...] the cost of the prizes donated to the Event by the [Leduc] was a campaign expense," reads an excerpt from the decision published on April 27.

"[Prizes] were used, in part, for [Leduc's] election campaign and the promotion of [his] candidacy." 

Greater Sudbury spokesperson Tanya Gravel says the auditor's report has not yet been completed, but once it is, a meeting of the election compliance audit committee will be scheduled so members can deliberate on whether or not to refer the matter to the courts.

"Leduc was reelected. But that doesn't mean he played by the rules," said Rioux. 

"I think it's important to bring this to light, so that in the future, we don't have councillors campaigning at events they shouldn't be campaigning at." 

Another application submitted

Christopher Ducanson-Hales was also a candidate for Ward 11 during the 2022 municipal elections. 

He says he attended the Grandparents' day event in the hope of distributing promotional materials for his campaign. 

"I thought it was a public event," he said. "But Leduc told me to stop introducing myself, saying it was a private event." 

"I got very confused between private and public at that point." 

When Duncanson-Hales noticed the event was not recorded in Leduc's campaign financial statements, he also decided to submit an application to the election compliance audit committee. 

He says that application is necessary, even if the committee is already conducting an audit of Leduc's finances because of Rioux's application.

"I want to ensure that the scope of the audit is as broad as I think it needs to be," said Ducanson-Hales. 

"I think this goes beyond what happened on Grandparents' day," he said. 

"There's a history or a pattern of not recognizing the line between councilor and candidate."

The election compliance audit committee will consider Ducanson-Hales' application during its meeting on May 25.

Leduc says he's the victim of a "hunting party"

Leduc says he cannot comment on matters before the election compliance audit committee, but he believes the video evidence provided by Rioux and Ducanson-Hales was tampered with.

"It does not reflect the event properly," said Leduc, who hired lawyers to ask the committee to remove evidence displayed on the city's website. 

"The videos don't comply with privacy policy in care homes," he said. 

Leduc maintains that he did not use Grandparent's day to promote his campaign. "My finances show this was not an election event."

He says the event brings a lot to the community and he will continue to be involved in planning it going forward.