Former B.C. government aide gets 9-month conditional sentence for 'quick wins' scheme
Brian Bonney will serve sentence in community and faces curfew and community service
A former government communications director has been given a nine-month conditional sentence for using his public job to woo ethnic votes for British Columbia's Liberal party.
Provincial court Judge David St. Pierre told Brian Bonney he made "certain choices" that landed him in court.
Bonney's lawyer told a sentencing hearing earlier this month that his client was an instrument of others in the scandal, including senior officials in former premier Christy Clark's office.
The conditional sentence will be served in the community and Bonney will live under a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew.
He must also do 60 hours of community service work.
Bonney pleaded guilty to breach of trust last October in the so-called quick wins scandal for the partisan use of taxpayer money in an attempt to attract support from minority groups.
Special prosecutor David Butcher presented a series of emails during the sentencing hearing showing Bonney used a private account to communicate with liaison workers who were tasked with gaining support from various ethnic organizations before the 2013 election.
Bonney's lawyer, Ian Donaldson, had asked for a suspended sentence, saying his client crossed a line but was directed to do so.
Clark appointed her deputy minister, John Dyble, to conduct a review and it concluded public officials misused government resources. It said Bonney was among those who spent a considerable amount of time during the workday on party activities and used private emails.
Clark apologized and the Liberals returned $70,000 of taxpayers' money.