Joey’s Notepad: On the Election Compliance Decision to Cut a Candidate a Break – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

May 11, 2023
Hamilton’s Election Compliance Audit Committee deliberated for nearly 100 minutes before deciding Thursday against pursuing action against a candidate who filed a grossly incorrect campaign finance return.
The decision makes practical sense. The Committee cannot impose sanction or penalty at a first hearing. It can only vote to hire a licenced accountant to audit a candidate.
If the auditor’s report confirms a campaign finance violation, the Committee can impose the penalty of barring the candidate from running in the next municipal election.
This brings us back to today’s decision. Ward 4 Council candidate Cindy Kennedy claimed she spend nothing on her election campaign and raised no funds. She spent at least a couple hundred dollars of her own money.
Kennedy was initially unapologetic before finally accepting she made a mistake and stating she would accept any decision of the Committee.
The Committee scorned Kennedy and closed the book on the matter.
An auditor will cost four figures, paid for by taxpayers, to confirm the obvious. Disqualifying Kennedy from running in 2026 is of no practical effect.
Thus, Thursday’s decision makes practical sense.