Elections Canada has fined liberal MP George Chahal $500 for stealing his opponent’s election material. No comment was made about his successful attempts to redirect Conservative voters to the fake polling stations.
“I have accepted and paid a $500 administrative penalty, as assessed by Elections Canada, for removing a flyer from a front door on September 19, 2021,” Chahal wrote in a Tweet.
“I want to again apologize and acknowledge my mistake.”
“As the elected Member of Parliament for Calgary Skyview, I am committed to putting the interests of my constituents first through all my activities and interactions.”
This recent development comes only one day after angry Calgarians appeared outside Chahal’s door over what many believe is a fraudulent election.
Chahal took to Twitter to condemn their appearance, but few had sympathy for him, taking the opportunity to ask, “But did they steal your mail?”
Did they open your mailbox and take your mail?
Because that would be positively criminal and really crossing a line, George. https://t.co/v7r7NWcfSc
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) January 25, 2022
But did they steal your mail? https://t.co/fvZY6ebeqY
— Keean Bexte (@TheRealKeean) January 24, 2022
As previously reported by The Counter Signal, the investigation into Chahal’s actions on election night came after video captured by homeowner Glenn Pennet showed Chahal approaching the house in northeast Calgary, seeing that a Conservative flyer was taped to the voter’s door, removing said flyer and subsequently replacing it with his material and walking away.
Pennett spoke with The Counter Signal afterwards and confirmed that he was filing a police report.
“And that’s him,” Pennett said, referring to the video of Chahal. “And that’s the sheet from Jag. And then he’s putting this [Liberal flyer] under my [door].”
Pennett also said that the only reason he can think of that Chahal targeted his house was that he is not a Liberal supporter, having voted Conservative ever since he had the opportunity and supporting Jag Sahota in the last election.
The Counter Signal also spoke with many of Pennett’s neighbours who say that they never received Sahota’s campaign literature, despite proudly hosting her sign on their lawns.
Having been forced to respond due to the overwhelming evidence, Chahal’s campaign admitted that Chahal took the flyer and replaced it with his own but said that he did this because his opponent’s flyer contained misinformation.
“While dropping off polling info flyers prior to polls opening on Election Day, George removed a piece of campaign literature that identified an incorrect polling location for the person residing at the address,” wrote campaign manager Randall Zalazar.
“All through Election Day, campaign volunteers found incorrectly labelled materials across the eastern side of the riding. Our campaign contacted Elections Canada and advised them of the issue.”
However, the video tells a different story. Indeed, Chahal barely looks at his opponent’s campaign literature before replacing it with his own.
Sahota, who spoke with the Sun, said she was “shocked” and “disappointed” with the video.
“If you watch the video, he made no attempt to look at the pamphlet,” she said.
Moreover, during our interview, Pennett showed The Counter Signal the new election material, directing Pennett to vote at Saint Clare Elementary School — the wrong location given his address.
“And actually, that isn’t even a voting station,” continued Pennett. “People have emailed me and told me that it isn’t a voting station.”
“[Jag’s flier] just reminded me to go to vote, reminded me to vote, and where to vote, which is a Catholic school just around the corner from here,” explained Pennett.
“And this here — if you look at that — Coventry is 9.6 kilometres North of me. And, then, that’s not even a polling station.”
The Counter Signal investigated this issue and found that, indeed, Pennett’s polling station is at a different school just around the corner.
Initially, this investigation was given to Calgary police to investigate, but was later handed off to Trudeau’s handpicked Commissioner — a decision many believed would lead to a lesser charge if any at all.
Following our interview with Pennett, The Counter Signal reached out to the Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections (CCE) to see what they had to say.
“In keeping with the confidentiality provisions of the Act, the CCE generally does not confirm whether it has received a complaint or has initiated an investigation into a particular issue,” said a senior communications advisor for the Office.
“That said, I can tell you that the Act contains a prohibition on “impairing or preventing the transmission of election advertising” — which would include, but is not limited to, defacing or removing election signs or other advertisements.”
According to the Office of the CCE, “… every person who is guilty of this offence is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not more than $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term of not more than six months, or to both.”
Under Section 325 (1) of the Canada Elections Act, it is illegal to “… prevent or impair the transmission to the public of an election advertising message without the consent of a person with authority to authorize its transmission.”
Despite the implications of Chahal’s actions and the possible penalties he could have faced, we now have closure on the case, and know what he faces: a measly $500 fine.
