Penticton Coun. Ryan Graham was slapped with a $450 fine for accepting a prohibited contribution during his 2022 run, Elections BC has announced.
A $1,250 contribution from the Okanagan Sign Group is at the heart of the issue, as the group is not an "eligible individual" when it comes to contributing to Graham's campaign.
The contribution was listed in Graham's disclosure form submitted following the election. After being contacted by Elections BC, he returned the contribution in the following month.
Despite returning the contribution, Graham still faced the possibility of a fine of up to $2,500, or twice the prohibited contribution.
Adam Barnes, Elections BC's director of investigations, noted that Graham had been cooperative with the investigation and provided all the documentation that was asked for when it came to assessing the penalty.
"Accepting a prohibited contribution gives a candidate an advantage in that the candidate did not need to seek a contribution of that amount from an eligible source, saving the candidate time during a busy campaign," Barnes noted.
In the end, Graham received a $450 monetary penalty for accepting the prohibited contribution.
Graham is the latest in the Okanagan to receive a fine for a campaign violation from Elections BC.
Arlene Arlowe, who ran unsuccessfully for Keremeos mayor in 2022, was penalized $850 for contributing beyond her personal limit to her own campaign.
Tracy St. Claire, who was originally a BC United candidate before the party folded and then unaffiliated during the last provincial election, was fined $150 for failing to include the proper authorization statement on her campaign website when it was set up.
In all three cases, Elections BC noted that when contacted, they all worked to bring themselves into compliance and cooperated with Elections BC's investigations.
