The mayor of Hamilton is being accused of dozens of violations of the Municipal Elections Act. |
Hamilton Mayor Larry Di Ianni has filed a second list of campaign donations which appears to contain seven new violations of the Municipal Elections Act.
The most obvious issue in his August 30 supplementary filing is three donations from Liuna Gardens Limited that together total $1000. Di Ianni had already recorded a $250 donation from this source in his first donor list submitted on March 31, bringing the total from this source to $1250. The maximum allowable donation is $750.
The president of Liuna Gardens Limited is Joe Mancinelli, who is also the regional manager for central and eastern Canada of the Labourer's International Union of North America (LIUNA). Mancinelli is president of Local 837 of LIUNA, and co-chair of a Di Ianni fundraising dinner scheduled for September 28 at Liuna Station.
The August 30 filing also shows apparent over-contributions from four other corporations - Multi Werx Electric Ltd., Carlisle Drywall Inc., Saltfleet Plumbing and Heating, and 100 Main Street East Ltd. Each of these donors were also listed in Di Ianni's first filing. Their addition donations listed on the second filing bring the total of each of their contributions over the $750 limit.
Similar over-contributions appear to have been made by two individuals - Danielle DeSantis and David DeSantis - who now appear to have donated a total of $1000 each to the Di Ianni campaign.
In addition to the $1250 donated by Liuna Gardens, Di Ianni has also received $250 from Liuna Station, $250 from LIUNA Local 837, $750 from the Labourer's International Union of North America, and $750 from Mancinelli personally. Local 837 also donated to twelve other candidates in last fall's city council elections.
Di Ianni submitted his first list of campaign contributions to the city clerk at the end of March, but also applied for an extension to allow him to continue fundraising. The second filing was due at the end of August and reports monies he received up to the end of June.
It comes more than two months after Dundas business-woman Joanna Chapman submitted a letter to city council asking for a compliance audit of the campaign finances of Di Ianni and eight other candidates. Chapman's letter noted more than 30 possible over-contributions to Di Ianni. Subsequently the mayor said he had asked his accountant to review his donations to make sure they adhered to the election law.
Chapman's request for an audit was turned down by city council, but she has appealed that decision to the Ontario Court of Justice. Information on that request and her earlier appeal to city council can be viewed at
http://www.hamiltoncatch.org/
articles/art_0407/art_040730chapman.htm.
