No charges following Port Moody police investigation into West Van mayor

An investigation into West Vancouver Mayor Mark Sager’s election spending has concluded with no criminal charges, according to a recent release the B.C. Prosecution Service.

Elections B.C. had asked Port Moody Police Department to conduct an independent investigation on their behalf in late-November 2023.

The investigation revolved around the Sager campaign buying $14,622 worth of office furniture, as well as money spent on “post-election communications.”

Of three furniture purchases, $7,301 came from the campaign account.

“There was no apparent attempt to conceal the fact that these expenses were incurred after the campaign had ended or what they were for,” the investigation concluded. “The evidence in this regard provides fruitful ground for the defence to argue that the campaign did not act with an intent to deceive.”

The mayor’s campaign disclosure statement also listed $7,993 paid to a communications consultant after the election. However, that money was not paid by the campaign, but by Sager’s law firm.

The payment was excluded, “even though it was for some reason included in the campaign’s disclosure statement,” the investigation determined.

After reviewing the evidence, special prosecutor John M. Gordon concluded: “a criminal charge of fraud over $5,000 was not supportable” against either Sager or his campaign manager.

Gordon wrapped up the case in June and the case was remitted back to Elections B.C. However, the announcement of Gordon’s decision was delayed so as not to compromise the Elections B.C. investigation.