Yellowknife (July 17/06) - News/North has learned that former Western Arctic MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew violated campaign rules in 2004 after accepting more than $9,000 in illegal campaign donations from three northern corporations.

Blondin-Andrew won that election by just 53 votes over her closest challenger, the NDP's Dennis Bevington.

Incumbent Western Arctic Liberal MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew reacts to news of her re-election in June 2004. - NNSL file photo

Raymond Landry, commissioner of Elections Canada, ruled earlier this year that Dogrib Nation Trustco Inc., Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, and NorTerra Inc. broke campaign financing rules by exceeding contribution limits.

The investigation came after Elections Canada received a letter from the NDP's Western Arctic riding association, questioning Blondin-Andrew's campaign contributions.

Under section 404.1 of the act, no corporation or related ventures, "Controlled directly or indirectly in any manner whatever," may donate more than $1,000 to a candidate in a calendar year.

In the case of Dogrib Nation Trustco Inc., it and the Dogrib Power Corporation donated a total of $1,850 to Blondin-Andrew's 2004 campaign, exceeding the maximum corporate donation by $850.

The IRC, over-donated to the tune of $5,449.60 while NorTerra Inc. blew its corporate campaign donation limit by $2,821.76.

According to the Elections Act, candidates found to have violated the campaign financing regulations have 30 days after becoming aware of the violation to repay the excess money.

After that, the candidate can be fined $1,000, face three-months imprisonment, or both.

As to whether or not Blondin-Andrew had been ordered to repay the money: "I can't comment on that and I suggest you check back with us in 30 days," said Elections Canada spokesperson Dan Kingsbury.

Calls to Blondin-Andrew's company Mountain Dene Ventures were not returned.

Her 2004 campaign manager Lana Roeland - newly elected president of the Western Arctic Liberal Association - at first declined to comment but then issued a statement, July 13.

Roeland acknowledged the law had been broken, but by accident.

"The contributions were made and the collective error was not caught in the fundraising process," she wrote.

"Western Arctic Liberal Association does not question that the error occurred. It was a mistake and an oversight, and measures have been taken during the 2006 General Election campaign to ensure that this will not happen again."

Mark Heyck, 2004 campaign manager for Bevington, confirmed he and official agent for Bevington, Don Babey, sent a letter to Elections Canada at the beginning of 2005 after reviewing Blondin-Andrew's campaign contributions posted on the government website.

"We had some questions as to the linkages between several companies who made donations," Heyck said. "So we wanted clarification on that."

Bevington, who defeated Blondin-Andrew in this year's general election, says the Election Canada reports tell the story.

"I don't really have a comment on it, the notices stand for themselves (and) with the changes to financing regulations (Blondin-Andrew's) campaign was in contravention of those guidelines," he said from Ottawa, Wednesday.