Ferguson Man Accused of Spending Campaign Money Illigallyagain
Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti charged with five campaign finance offences, calls claims 'frivolous'
The declared offences are provincial, not criminal. If found guilty, Mammoliti could be fined up to $25,000 per offence and, in some circumstances, butterfingers from office
A special prosecutor acting on behalf of the Urban center of Toronto has charged Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti with 5 campaign finance offences relating to the 2010 ballot.
The charges come later a forensic audit of the York West councillor's books that uncovered apparent contraventions of the Municipal Elections Deed, including having exceeded the legal spending limit past 44%. A first court appearance is set for August 15.
The city's compliance audit committee launched legal activeness in February, and the city retained Brian Gover, of Stockwoods LLP, to make up one's mind what, if whatever, charges would go before a court. Mr. Mammoliti is defendant of exceeding the candidate spending limit, failing to record or incorrectly recording campaign contributions and expenses, declining to keep records of campaign expenses and accepting cash contributions over $25.
He was charged on July 16. The declared offences are provincial, not criminal. If plant guilty, he could be fined upwards to $25,000 per offence and, in some circumstances, disqualified from function. Reached by phone in Vancouver, Mr. Gover said prosecutors must believe there is a "reasonable prospect of confidence" before filing the charges.
In a statement, Councillor Mammoliti blasted the "frivolous" claims and suggested he was non given enough fourth dimension to answer. "We take this summons from the urban center very seriously and will vindicate ourselves by detailed explanation," he wrote. He has hired prominent lawyer Morris Manning to argue his example.
"Ultimately, taxpayers deserve an caption on what appears to be a politically motivated and biased decision on their dime. The City has spent nearly $500,000 to date on all compliance audits and expenses. This legal process will potentially cost the Metropolis another $200,000," Mr. Mammoliti wrote in an email.
Meanwhile, Toronto'due south compliance audit committee voted Fri to commence legal activeness against former councillor Peter Li Preti, the runner up in the 2010 Ward 8 election. An audit by Froese Forensic Partners found Mr. Li Preti accustomed 46 illegal corporate contributions and went over his $23,917 spending limit past just over $3,000, or xiii%, amid other apparent contraventions.
Following the decision, and ignoring his lawyer'due south advice not to speak to the media, Mr. Li Preti expressed his disappointment.
"I don't remember I have annihilation to fear. I think this a political decision," he said. "Rob Ford had the same number of contraventions, if you read this report. The committee did zero. Other people had the same number of contraventions, the committee did nothing. Merely me, they're proceeding."
In February, the committee dropped the investigation into Mr. Ford's campaign spending. Auditors identified a number of alleged breaches, including that Mr. Ford spent three% over the legal limit and accepted xi illegal corporate donations.
National Post
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Source: https://nationalpost.com/news/toronto/councillor-giorgio-mammoliti-charged-with-five-campaign-finance-offences-calls-them-frivolous
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