Failed Toronto mayoral candidate failed to report expenses, accepted illegal donations: Report
Auditor's report says far-right gadfly Faith Goldy broke election law, failed to co-operate with auditors
Author of the article:
Bryan Passifiume
Publishing date:
Jan 14, 2022 • 20 hours ago • 2 minute read •
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Alt-right fringe candidate Faith Goldy, left, tries to hijack the proceedings at Toronto Mayoral Arts Debate 2018 at the TIFF Bell Lightbox and was escorted off the stage by police and security on Monday September 24, 2018.
Alt-right fringe candidate Faith Goldy, left, tries to hijack the proceedings at Toronto Mayoral Arts Debate 2018 at the TIFF Bell Lightbox and was escorted off the stage by police and security on Monday September 24, 2018. Photo by Jack Boland /Toronto Sun
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The 2018 municipal election campaign isn’t over for one fringe Toronto mayoral candidate.
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Faith Goldy — a once-notorious far-right commentator who finished a distant third in the Oct. 22, 2018 election, garnering just 3% of the vote — is alleged by auditor William Molson to have broken a number of election laws.
In his report on Goldy’s campaign finances, Molson alleges Goldy failed to report $86,398.49 in expenses, which is required by law, as well as not reporting $56,117.95 in donations made by Ontario residents prior to Dec. 31, 2018.
She also didn’t report $12,365.99 in donations made after that date “without extending her campaign,” Molson wrote.
Goldy’s also accused of soliciting donations from outside of Ontario.
“During the campaign period, Goldy apparently accepted and did not report or account for in the Financial Statement $71,577.94 in contributions, including contributions from ineligible contributors, in order to pay for campaign expenses, and accepted a further $29,540.06 of such contributions in 2019 after the expiration of her campaign period, for a total of $101,118 in addition to those (previously mentioned contributions),” he wrote.
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As well, he alleged that Goldy exceeded the $25,000 that mayoral candidates are permitted to donate to their campaign by $56,388.63.
Molson also claims Goldy was less-than forthcoming in assisting him with his report.
“The candidate was generally not cooperative in responding to requests for information,” he wrote. “Specific information requested as early as February 2020, and on repeated occasions, was provided in part only on Dec. 22, 2021.”
A donation returned to its sender, with a solicitation to send money via Faith Goldy’s personal account
A donation returned to its sender, with a solicitation to send money via Faith Goldy’s personal account Photo by Handout /Municipal Election Compliance Audit of the Campaign Finances of Candidate Faith Goldy
He alleges Goldy only reported a portion of expenses incurred after she registered herself a candidate on July 27, 2018, “apparently taking a position that the expenses were evidently either campaign expenses or non-campaign expenses, or perhaps could be reasonably prorated as either campaign-related or non-campaign-related, on the basis that she was both a candidate and a political commentator,” he wrote, adding the Municipal Elections Act doesn’t permit candidates to pick and choose how donations are used.
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Goldy, Molson writes, only reported $25,000 of the $86,398.49 in legal costs incurred in her failed action against Bell Media for refusing to run her election ads — including not reporting a $43,117.90 judgment compelling her to pay Bell Media’s legal fees.
Molson also cites a now-deleted YouTube video produced by Goldy when she first launched her suit against Bell Media in which she stated she’s “accepting donations from supporters of democracy worldwide,” allegedly stating the money is destined for her election campaign.
He also provided screenshots of declined donations for the Faith Goldy Campaign from out-of-province donors that instead invited them to send the money to her personal email address.
The Sun reached out to Goldy for comment but she did not respond.
bpassifiume@postmedia.com
On Twitter: @bryanpassifiume
torontosun.com
Auditor's report says far-right gadfly Faith Goldy broke election law, failed to co-operate with auditors
Author of the article:
Bryan Passifiume
Publishing date:
Jan 14, 2022 • 20 hours ago • 2 minute read •
Join the conversation
Alt-right fringe candidate Faith Goldy, left, tries to hijack the proceedings at Toronto Mayoral Arts Debate 2018 at the TIFF Bell Lightbox and was escorted off the stage by police and security on Monday September 24, 2018.
Alt-right fringe candidate Faith Goldy, left, tries to hijack the proceedings at Toronto Mayoral Arts Debate 2018 at the TIFF Bell Lightbox and was escorted off the stage by police and security on Monday September 24, 2018. Photo by Jack Boland /Toronto Sun
Article content
The 2018 municipal election campaign isn’t over for one fringe Toronto mayoral candidate.
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content
Faith Goldy — a once-notorious far-right commentator who finished a distant third in the Oct. 22, 2018 election, garnering just 3% of the vote — is alleged by auditor William Molson to have broken a number of election laws.
In his report on Goldy’s campaign finances, Molson alleges Goldy failed to report $86,398.49 in expenses, which is required by law, as well as not reporting $56,117.95 in donations made by Ontario residents prior to Dec. 31, 2018.
She also didn’t report $12,365.99 in donations made after that date “without extending her campaign,” Molson wrote.
Goldy’s also accused of soliciting donations from outside of Ontario.
“During the campaign period, Goldy apparently accepted and did not report or account for in the Financial Statement $71,577.94 in contributions, including contributions from ineligible contributors, in order to pay for campaign expenses, and accepted a further $29,540.06 of such contributions in 2019 after the expiration of her campaign period, for a total of $101,118 in addition to those (previously mentioned contributions),” he wrote.
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Story continues below
Article content
As well, he alleged that Goldy exceeded the $25,000 that mayoral candidates are permitted to donate to their campaign by $56,388.63.
Molson also claims Goldy was less-than forthcoming in assisting him with his report.
“The candidate was generally not cooperative in responding to requests for information,” he wrote. “Specific information requested as early as February 2020, and on repeated occasions, was provided in part only on Dec. 22, 2021.”
A donation returned to its sender, with a solicitation to send money via Faith Goldy’s personal account
A donation returned to its sender, with a solicitation to send money via Faith Goldy’s personal account Photo by Handout /Municipal Election Compliance Audit of the Campaign Finances of Candidate Faith Goldy
He alleges Goldy only reported a portion of expenses incurred after she registered herself a candidate on July 27, 2018, “apparently taking a position that the expenses were evidently either campaign expenses or non-campaign expenses, or perhaps could be reasonably prorated as either campaign-related or non-campaign-related, on the basis that she was both a candidate and a political commentator,” he wrote, adding the Municipal Elections Act doesn’t permit candidates to pick and choose how donations are used.
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Story continues below
Article content
Goldy, Molson writes, only reported $25,000 of the $86,398.49 in legal costs incurred in her failed action against Bell Media for refusing to run her election ads — including not reporting a $43,117.90 judgment compelling her to pay Bell Media’s legal fees.
Molson also cites a now-deleted YouTube video produced by Goldy when she first launched her suit against Bell Media in which she stated she’s “accepting donations from supporters of democracy worldwide,” allegedly stating the money is destined for her election campaign.
He also provided screenshots of declined donations for the Faith Goldy Campaign from out-of-province donors that instead invited them to send the money to her personal email address.
The Sun reached out to Goldy for comment but she did not respond.
bpassifiume@postmedia.com
On Twitter: @bryanpassifiume
Failed Toronto mayoral candidate failed to report expenses, accepted illegal donations: Report
The 2018 municipal election campaign isn't over for one fringe Toronto mayoral candidate.