West Vancouver mayor will not face criminal charges following campaign finance investigation

An investigation into allegations of campaign finance irregularities against West Vancouver Mayor Mark Sager has found the evidence did not meet the Crown's standards for a criminal charge, the B.C. Prosecution Service announced Friday.

The prosecution service said it had investigated furniture items purchased for Sager's office with leftover campaign funds, as well as money that was paid to a public relations and communications consultant after the election. 

It said the money, totalling about $10,000, could have been remitted to the municipality had it not been spent.

However, the prosecutor found it was ambiguous "as to whether Mr. Sager acted dishonestly or was simply careless or mistaken in his efforts to comply with [the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act]." 

"There was no apparent attempt to conceal the fact that these expenses were incurred after the campaign had ended or what they were for," according to the announcement. 

"I'm grateful to have it finally closed and behind me. It's been a weight on the shoulders that's nice to have it removed," Sager said on Friday. 

When the investigation was announced in December 2023, Sager told CBC News he was stunned and flabbergasted.

He said the investigation was most likely about $10,000 of leftover campaign donations he had used to refurnish his office, and said he was given the green light by Elections B.C. to use the funds this way and also asked his own legal counsel about it. 

The prosecutor service's decision said candidates may only claim expenses "incidental to the candidate's campaign," which these items were not. 

It said professional communications services rendered after a campaign are generally not a permissible campaign expense. It also said Elections B.C. denied giving Sager the green light to purchase furniture. 

However, the campaign openly declared the expenditures and was compliant with providing further information, according to the decision. 

"I always thought it was a bit unusual," said Sager. 

"I'm just grateful it's over, and I just like focusing on the job I very much like doing."