Did Cornwall Mayor Bob Kilger Cheat on His Campaign Expenses in 2010 Election?

CORNWALL Ontario – Did Bob Kilger get away with cheating on his campaign expenses in the last election?   We queried Ms Helen Finn, Clerk of the City of Cornwall, who is in charge of the election, after Gilles Latour of Latour Wealth Management was arrested for fraud.

Mayor Kilger was quoted  after Mr. Latour’s arrest;

Gilles Latour is a long-time personal friend and my thoughts are with him and his family at this time.

Mr. Latour was a key member of Mayor Kilger’s last campaign.  When ads were purchased, Mr. Latour is alleged to have paid with his own cheque, and not from the campaign for amount over double that reported as his campaign donation.

Mr. Latour and Mayor Kilger did not respond to questions from CFN on the issue.   Mayor Kilger also did not respond about Economic Developer Bob Peters working on his election campaign from his offices for the city during work hours in the last election.

When asked about this Ms Finn sent in the response below.

But how would the public even know what was spent and what wasn’t; especially within that period of time?    And how would the average citizen know where to complain if they were inclined?

Surely such complaints should be timed from when discovered?

Hello,

According to the Municipal Act, a complaint about finances would be forwarded to the Audit Compliance Committee.  However, the complaint must be made within 90 days of the event.  In this case, it has been several years. It is too late.

Regards,
Helen Finn, LLB in Quebec,
City Clerk / Greffière
Clerk’s Department / Département du Greffe
The Corporation of the City of Cornwall
360, rue Pitt Street, Cornwall, ON, K6J 3P9
(613) 930-2787 ext 2537 Phone
(613) 932-8145 Fax
hfinn@cornwall.ca

Compliance audit

Application

81. (1) An elector who is entitled to vote in an election and believes on reasonable grounds that a candidate has contravened a provision of this Act relating to election campaign finances may apply for a compliance audit of the candidate’s election campaign finances. 2009, c. 33, Sched. 21, s. 8 (44).

Requirements

(2) An application for a compliance audit shall be made to the clerk of the municipality or the secretary of the local board for which the candidate was nominated for office; and it shall be in writing and shall set out the reasons for the elector’s belief. 2009, c. 33, Sched. 21, s. 8 (44).

Deadline

(3) The application must be made within 90 days after the latest of,

(a) the filing date under section 78;

(b) the candidate’s supplementary filing date, if any, under section 78;

(c) the filing date for the final financial statement under section 79.1; or

(d) the date on which the candidate’s extension, if any, under subsection 80 (4) expires. 2009, c. 33, Sched. 21, s. 8 (44).