MP Jaime Battiste has been fined four times for breaking election rules during his bid for the Liberal nomination in his Nova Scotia constituency in 2019. Federal Elections Commissioner Caroline Simard disclosed that Battiste received a total of $600 in fines for four infractions. These included exceeding the maximum personal donation limit to his campaign, depositing campaign contributions into his personal bank account, personally covering several campaign expenses, and submitting a false or misleading declaration to Elections Canada.
Individuals are limited to donating $1,600 annually to a political candidate or party, with candidates allowed an additional $1,000 in personal donations. Simard’s investigation revealed that Battiste had contributed over $4,000 to his campaign during the nomination phase.
Moreover, Battiste received over $8,000 in donations in his personal bank account before transferring the funds to his campaign account. According to Canadian election regulations, only a candidate’s financial agent can accept campaign donations. Additionally, the financial agent is the sole individual permitted to make payments for campaign expenses. However, Simard discovered that Battiste used his personal credit card to cover various expenses exceeding $700.
In response to inquiries from CBC News, Battiste acknowledged that both he and his financial agent had committed “errors” during the 2019 nomination process but stressed that they had diligently rectified the issues. He expressed a commitment to learning from these mistakes and highlighted his subsequent success in three elections, as well as his candidacy for the 2025 leadership position.
Simard mitigated the fines based on Battiste’s cooperation with the investigation. Battiste confirmed that the fines had been paid in full.