A police investigation into campaign finance irregularities by West Vancouver Mayor Mark Sager has concluded, according to Port Moody Police.
Now, the file has been handed over to the BC Prosecution Service for the consideration of charges by the Crown.
The BCPS said the matter is in the “charge assessment phase” and has no further information to provide at this time.
“We do not have a timeline for the completion of charge assessment. The BCPS will make a public statement at the conclusion of the charge assessment process,” the agency said by email.
In December 2023, Elections BC said that it had identified potential spending irregularities during a review of Sager’s campaign financing disclosure forms following the 2022 civic election, and had referred the case to RCMP. The matter was later turned over to Port Moody Police for investigation.
In March, the BCPS said that John M. Gordon, KC, had been appointed special prosecutor to the case. Gordon is a senior lawyer who’s represented the Crown in a number of high-profile cases.
When the allegations first surfaced, Sager told the North Shore News that he was shocked by the investigation and called it “grossly unfair.”
Asked to comment on how the probe has proceeded since, Sager said: "I never heard a word directly from anyone about anything."
No further details on the investigation have been provided by Port Moody Police or Elections BC.
In February, the Law Society of B.C. prohibited Sager from practising law for two years, after he admitted to professional misconduct in handling an elderly client’s estate.
This article has been updated with comment from West Vancouver Mayor Mark Sager.
