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Elections Watchdog Fines Liberal MP Jaime Battiste $600 Over 2019 Nomination Finance Breaches

The notices conclude the probe into his 2019 nomination campaign with penalties kept low due to cooperation and other mitigating factors.

Overview

  • Notices posted Nov. 6 by Commissioner Caroline Simard detail four breaches tied to Battiste’s Sydney—Victoria nomination race in July 2019.
  • Violations included contributing nearly $1,500 over the legal limit, accepting donations into a personal bank account, and paying campaign costs with a personal credit card.
  • Official records show his return reported $8,201 in contributions while $9,701 was deposited, and a $500 advertisement should have been recorded as a non‑monetary contribution.
  • Battiste’s former financial agent, Kevin Chant, was fined $600 and cited for failing to return the excess contribution despite a 2021 repayment directive that remained outstanding in 2024.
  • Battiste said he has paid the fine and described the issues as reporting mistakes from 2019 that were addressed with Elections Canada.