Toronto’s compliance audit committee will be considering a request for an audit into the campaign expenses of Ward 22 Councillor Jim Karygiannis — who in 2018 raised more than $217,000 toward his run against former deputy mayor Norm Kelly in Scarborough-Agincourt.

The request, filed June 4 by lawyer Stephen Aylward on behalf of Toronto elector and activist Adam Chaleff, asks a compliance audit be conducted to clear up a number of questions stemming from Karygiannis’s filing.

“We’re still at the compliance audit phase, we don’t have all the documents and we have to hear from the other side, but at this point we have some concern the campaign spending limit was exceeded,” said Aylward. “There’s a calculation that suggests the excess might be as high as $98,000.”

The request follows report on Toronto.com, looking at Karygiannis’s unusually high fundraising effort in 2018.

Karygiannis, a former Liberal MP for the riding currently serving his second term as councillor for Ward 22, raised more campaign funds than any other councillor — $217,669.44. His campaign spending limit was $61,207.95, and according to his filings with the city, he spent just $43,812.55.

Reached while vacationing overseas, Karygiannis said he was unaware the audit request had been filed or of any of its contents.

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“You know what? We live in a free society,” said Karygiannis. “The man filed his request and we’ll see where it goes. I’m on holiday right now trying to enjoy some sun.”

Previously, Karygiannis said his campaign followed the rules.

Chaleff’s filing raises questions in three areas.

It questions a post-election expense of $81,000 in honoraria to supporters — which falls outside the campaign spending limit — when there were no salaries or honoraria listed prior to election day.

Those honoraria, paid to 19 individuals, were filed without supporting documentation — which is not required in filings with the city’s election office.

The request also says that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that a $13,611.36 expense for mailing promotional material to 36,000 households was misclassified as a fundraising expense — which is exempt from the spending limit — and should have been filed under the election expenses.

Chaleff’s request also raises questions about a Dec. 21, 2018 fundraising event that cost $27,000 and did not raise any funds.

“It appears likely that this event was not a fundraising event at all, but rather a voter appreciation event that exceeded the Voter Appreciation Spending Limit by over $20,000,” the document reads.

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In the request, Chaleff notes that the post-election bears further scrutiny because in the normal course of events, a campaign surplus must be returned to the city.

The request will go before Toronto’s compliance audit committee, where Karygiannis will have an opportunity to respond.

If the committee agrees to the request, Karygiannis’s campaign expenses will be reviewed by an independent auditor to determine whether he has violated the Municipal Elections Act.