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An investigation centred around donations made to the P.E.I. Progressive Conservatives has resulted in police laying 42 charges against the party’s official agent.
Elections P.E.I. flagged what it called irregularities in the donations made to the governing party in 2025. The election agency referred its investigation to the RCMP in August.
“The offences are centered around donations made to the Prince Edward Island Progressive Conservative Party in 2025 that were made in contravention of the Election Expenses Act or not reported in accordance with the Election Expenses Act,” P.E.I. RCMP said in a news release Friday.
“These are summary offences that could carry a maximum penalty of [a] $1,000 fine for each offence.”
The accused is set to appear in provincial court in Charlottetown on Oct. 29.
Cpl. Gavin Moore, media relations officer for the P.E.I. RCMP, said the charges are related to “a number of different things, everything from donations made in excess of what the act permits, record keeping in terms of receipts, failing to make reports and knowingly making false reports.”
P.E.I. RCMP media relations officer Cpl. Gavin Moore says charges against the official agent for the P.E.I. Progressive Conservatives relate to donations to the party for amounts in excess of what is permitted under the Election Expenses Act, improper record keeping, failing to make reports and knowingly making false reports. (Rick Gibbs/CBC)
“Elections P.E.I. does a very professional and thorough job in collecting information and ensuring that regulations are followed. They play a pivotal role in any of these types of investigations,” Moore said.
“Our role then is to carry that investigation further for the court purposes.”
The Progressive Conservative Party said in a statement to CBC News that it is aware of the situation and has co-operated with the investigation.
“As this matter is now before the courts, we will respect the process and provide further comment when appropriate,” the statement reads.
“We remain committed to working co-operatively with all involved.”
The party said 2025 contributions were reviewed by its independent auditor and received a clean audit, meaning financial statements were in line with accounting standards.
P.E.I. Green Party Leader Matt MacFarlane called the situation “disappointing,” adding there has been “an erosion of trust” in the governing party.
He pointed the the PC government’s efforts to amend the province’s Conflict of Interest Act in order to move MLA Sidney MacEwen into cabinet, as well as now-Independent MLA and former PC cabinet minister Gilles Arsenault being investigated by the RCMP over his alleged involvement in a donation from a private developer to a community group in his district.
“We expect our government to follow the law and abide by the law. We don’t expect our government to be flouting the law. That’s not how government should work,” MacFarlane said.
“This is not simply an administrative issue at this point when you’ve got 42 criminal charges laid against the party. It’s a party issue and it’s one that the premier, the leader of the party, should take responsibility for.”
‘We expect our government to follow the law and abide by the law. We don’t expect our government to be flouting the law,’ says P.E.I. Green Party Leader Matt MacFarlane. (Barry Acton/CBC)
A link to PC Party contributions for 2025 on Elections P.E.I.’s website leads to a PDF stating: “Under further investigation, the contributions will be posted as soon as possible.”
Elections P.E.I. CEO Tim Garrity previously told CBC News that the the agency conducts an annual internal audit after receiving contribution documents from registered political parties. He said files are sent to the RCMP and Crown Attorney’s Office for review if issues or irregularities are found.
The PC Party said in an emailed statement earlier this month that Elections P.E.I. identified three issues in its audit:
Contribution disclosures for 2025 were submitted a day late.Funds were received from an individual in Nova Scotia through the purchase of a fundraising dinner ticket and were subsequently returned.Elections P.E.I. identified seven contributions as exceeding limits, “including matters related to the treatment of contributions received from members of the same household as well as an erroneous inclusion of a leadership contribution as a contribution to the party.”
The party said the three issues were identified through a separate compliance review process by Elections P.E.I.
WATCH | Elections P.E.I. sends PC Party donation documents to RCMP over irregularities:
Elections P.E.I. sends PC Party donation documents to RCMP over irregularities
RCMP confirmed they are reviewing material handed over by Elections P.E.I. after the organization found what it calls irregularities in PC Party donation documents from 2025. CBC’s Tony Davis has more.