Burnaby resident and longtime Liberal Brian Bonney has been charged with several counts of violating B.C.'s Election Act.
The charges were filed on Monday, Sept. 8 against Bonney and Mark Robertson, a Liberal party staffer, and include multiple counts of violating the Election Act, specifically the section relating to election financing. The charges include violating restrictions or limits on accepting or making a political contribution and three counts related to election expenses.
Bonney and Robertson allegedly made an illegal political contribution during the 2012 Port-Moody-Coquitlam provincial byelection. Court documents show Bonney and Robertson allegedly paid Sepideh Sarrafpour to work on the Liberal's campaign for candidate Dennis Marsden yet failed to disclose the payment to Terry Hawes, Marsden's financial agent.
Bonney worked for the provincial government for more than a year, handling communications for the ministry of multiculturalism. He resigned following the so-called "ethnic vote scandal," after a review, ordered by Premier Christy Clark, found he was doing partisan work for the Liberals on taxpayer time.
Last August, B.C.'s Criminal Justice Branch appointed David Butcher, a special prosecutor, to help police with an ongoing investigation into contraventions of the provincial Election Act, and that investigation is still ongoing.
The NOW contacted Bonney for comment, but he did not return our calls.
- With files from The Province
