EDMONTON—Alberta’s election commissioner has been carrying out an investigation into “irregular financial contributions” during the United Conservatives’ 2017 leadership race, but details are scant, and the affair has raised more questions than answers.

Commissioner Lorne Gibson is bound by legislation to not talk publicly or release many details about the investigation, which focuses on the money former UCP leadership candidate Jeff Callaway brought in for his campaign. He has faced allegations that his candidacy was used by now-leader Jason Kenney as a “kamikaze mission” so that Callaway could attack Kenney’s biggest opponent, Brian Jean.

Three associates of the UCP have been disciplined in relation to their activities around the Callaway campaign, but the full scope and nature of these incidents are also not clear.

Here is a timeline chronicling what is known:

Summer 2017

The UCP came together as a merger of the Progressive Conservatives and the Wildrose Party, and in the summer of 2017, four candidates put their names forward to lead it: Jason Kenney, former Wildrose leader Brian Jean, Jeff Callaway, and Doug Schweitzer.

Read more:

Retired Edmonton police officer digging into allegations UCP party insiders organized ‘kamikaze’ campaign

Failed UCP nomination candidate calls for inquiry, alleging Jason Kenney organized ‘kamikaze’ rival campaign

United Conservatives remove Calgary candidate who was not ‘forthright’ about donations to alleged kamikaze campaign

After Kenney won the race, rumours circled around the Callaway campaign suggesting it was a proxy used by Kenney in order to attack his biggest opponent, Jean. Callaway had dropped out earlier in the race and endorsed Kenney, who went on to win with about 35,000 of the almost 60,000 votes cast.

Nov. 30, 2018

An anonymous complaint, obtained by Star Edmonton, was sent to the election commissioner listing 18 people who donated to Callaway under allegedly suspicious circumstances. The people listed donated amounts numbering in the thousands of dollars and the complainant provided the commissioner with in-depth personal details about these donors.

The complaint also alleges that about 50 per cent of the money donated to Callaway’s campaign may have come from a political action committee.

One person named in the complaint would later be fined for donating money to Callaway that wasn’t theirs, an offence under the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act.

Dec. 6, 2018

Independent MLA for Calgary-Greenway Prab Gill, formerly of the UCP, stood in the legislature and raised allegations that echoed those in the anonymous complaint.

Gill, who left the UCP in the wake of a ballot-stuffing controversy, said “more than $40,000 in very suspicious donations” were made to a candidate “who attacked Brian Jean in the UCP leadership race and who ultimately endorsed the leader of the Opposition (Jason Kenney).”

Dec. 17, 2018

Early in the month, an audio clip surfaced online of longtime political organizer and conservative Wendy Adam discussing a plot to run Callaway as a “kamikaze mission.”

It’s unclear who taped the conversation, but Adam is heard telling two unidentified men, “The reason that we’re running Jeff (Callaway) as a serious campaign is because Jeff will be able to say things about Brian Jean that Jason Kenney cannot.”

“It’s a kamikaze mission,” said one unidentified man.

“Exactly,” said Adam.

Adam said in a message to Star Edmonton at the time that she was focused on “defeating the NDP (in the 2019 provincial election), not the divisive nature and games of those who do not have a similar view.”

Callaway denied that his campaign was anything but legitimate.

However, Happy Mann, a failed UCP nomination candidate from Calgary, came forward and said he had concerns about his involvement in the alleged plot.

“I was a naive person who was just very passionate to work on a leadership (campaign) to make sure that the UCP wins or Jason Kenney wins,” said Mann. “I’m not going to deny the fact.”

Mann and two of his relatives had each made $3,000 contributions to Callaway’s campaign, but he said he wouldn’t discuss the nature of the contributions until he had advice from his lawyer. Mann has still not spoken publicly about the nature of his contribution.

Derek Fildebrandt, who left the UCP amid several legal difficulties and controversies, told Star Edmonton that he had a meeting with Kenney in the summer of 2017 where the then-leadership hopeful asked him to run as a kamikaze mission as well.

Dec. 19, 2018

Mann told Star Edmonton that he had been at meetings with Callaway and Kenney where the kamikaze plot was discussed, including the organization and funding of it.

He said he wanted an investigation initiated.

Dec. 21, 2018

It was reported by Star Edmonton that Ken Brander, a retired Edmonton police detective with extensive expertise in money-laundering and fraud cases, was brought in by the election commissioner to help investigate the Callaway campaign.

It was the first time there was public confirmation of an ongoing investigation.

Since then, Star Edmonton has learned that a second retired police officer was brought in to assist — Dave Jennings, who served with the Calgary Police Service for 25 years.

Jan. 26, 2019

A letter was sent to at least three people of interest in the commissioner’s investigation informing them about concerns that an unnamed individual was attempting to interfere with the probe.

It was the first time that correspondence from the commissioner leaked to the media detailing the focus of the investigation, which was “irregular financial contributions” during Callaway’s UCP leadership bid.

Feb. 26, 2019

Cameron Davies, a former co-campaign manager for Callaway during the leadership bid, and who had since been doing contract work for the party, was hit with $15,000 in fines from the commissioner for “obstruction of an investigation.”

The commissioner posts fines to his office’s website, along with the infraction and title of the person receiving the penalties. Outside of those details, information is sparse and has come from leaks and sources with knowledge of the alleged affair.

Davies is appealing the fines, with his lawyer Dale Fedorchuk saying, “I note that the findings of the commissioner were not based upon a hearing, where oral evidence was presented and findings of fact made.”

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

“It is important that the public not make any conclusions or draw any inferences from the commissioner’s decision until this matter has been heard by the court. Mr. Davies specifically denies the allegations brought against him and will vigorously defend this matter going forward,” Fedorchuk’s statement said.

The UCP terminated Davies’ contract with the party.

Feb. 28, 2019

Karen Brown, a former UCP chief financial officer in the Calgary-Falconridge constituency who previously resigned from her post, was slapped with a $3,500 fine from the commissioner for donating the same amount to Callaway “with funds given or furnished by another person.”

Brown did not offer any comment on the fine when Star Edmonton reached out to her at the time.

March 6, 2019

Randy Kerr, the UCP candidate for Calgary-Beddington, was removed from the position for not being “forthright” with the party after it found “new information” relating to his $4,000 contribution to the Callaway campaign.

“The party is not making any allegation against Mr. Kerr regarding the legitimacy of his contribution to the Callaway leadership, nor against Mr. Callaway or his campaign,” said UCP executive director Janice Harrington in a media statement.

The party said it gave the new information to the election commissioner and said it wouldn’t be commenting further.

Star Edmonton sent an email, a text message, and tried calling Kerr for comment when the news broke, but he didn’t respond to the requests. However, in email correspondence from December, Kerr said he helped with Kenney’s PC leadership campaign in the past.

In response to questions regarding allegations about Callaway’s bid being a kamikaze mission, Kerr said, “I’ve known Jeff for a number of years, and joined his campaign in particular to help promote his policies on exports through Churchill and increasing the use of natural gas in Alberta.”

In another email exchange with Star Edmonton in late December, Kerr said the donation he made to Callaway was contributed with his own money.

“I in fact donated part of my agreed upon salary from the Callaway campaign back to the campaign — a completely acceptable and not uncommon practice in politics (ex. if you check NDP donations, I’m sure you’ll see a number of staff donating back to their party),” he wrote.

What are the UCP saying?

The UCP denies allegations that Callaway was used as a kamikaze candidate and that Kenney or anyone from his leadership campaign team played a role in organizing funding for Callaway.

The party has maintained that the election commissioner hasn’t contacted the Kenney leadership campaign team, the leader’s office, or the party.

What is Kenney saying?

Kenney told reporters in February that he didn’t help organize or fund the Callaway campaign.

“Mr. Callaway and I met before the leadership election. I was seeking his endorsement because he was the outgoing president of the Wildrose Party. He told me he intended to at least launch an exploratory campaign to run for the leadership. I didn’t think that was a great idea,” Kenney said.

“I was focused on getting as much support as I could for my campaign, and, frankly, in a leadership election, you’re trying to raise every dollar you can for your own campaign, not for other candidates.”

What is the political scientist take?

Lori Williams, political science professor at Mount Royal University, said the affair raises ethical questions about Kenney and could sway voters away if they value trust over the economy.

“For those who are committed to grassroots politics, who are committed to open, transparent government, this is going to raise questions, and it’s going to be problematic. But for those who are primarily concerned about the economy — not as big an issue,” she said in a recent interview.

Still, even if voters buy the economic policies Kenney has been pitching, trust in his ability to carry out promises could be eroded as well with the investigation looming, said Williams.

The question of his proximity to the alleged kamikaze affair looms large, as well. For political observers who closely watched the leadership campaign, Williams said it was “evident to everybody watching” that Callaway was a proxy being used to undermine Jean.

“Enough piles up and people are going to start to wonder how far Jason Kenney can distance himself from this stuff, because the common denominator is increasingly becoming him,” she said.

The party’s move to turf Kerr as candidate for Calgary-Beddington indicated to Williams that the UCP is also trying to distance itself from the story. As information slowly drips out, the story will continue to make headlines, and a series of incidents like this can be troublesome for a party on the eve of an election — set to be held in Alberta before the end of May.

“They want to try to make it look as though it is the independent actions of former members of the party, or former associates of the party, and not the party and not the leadership itself,” Williams said.

Read more about: