Brian Bonney, Mark Robertson charged under Election Act

Brian Bonney and Mark Robertson have eachbeen charged with three offencesunder the ElectionAct in relation to election contributions and expenses.

Bonney is the former Liberal B.C. government's communications director. Robertson worked for the Liberal party as the director of field operations.

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Elections BC says the charges each carry a potential fine of up to $10,000 and/or a year in jail, although a spokesperson said no one has ever yet been jailed in B.C. under those charges.

According to the B.C. Criminal Justice Branch, the charges arise out of conduct alleged to have occurred during the Port Moody-Coquitlamprovincial byelection in 2012.

Documents leaked to CBC News by the NDPat the timeincluded emails between a number of B.C. Liberals from their private accounts in October 2011, and suggested the existence of a taxpayer-funded "Port Moody 'Swing Riding' Team."

Vancouver criminal lawyer David Butcher was appointed by the B.C. Criminal Justice Branch to act as an independent special prosecutor in the case.

Both Bonney and Robertson are charged with two counts each of "making a political contribution" and one each of incurring "an unauthorized election expense" for providing the services of campaign workerSepidehSarrafpourtoPort Moody Liberal candidate Dennis Marsdenin the 2012 byelection without informing Marsden'sfinancial agent, contrary to the ElectionAct.

Marsden lost the byelection to former Port Moody mayor Joe Trasolini.

The investigation into the by-electionfollowed a provincial review into what becameknown as the ethnic outreach scandal.

Several top B.C. Liberal staff members were forced to resign because of their role in the scandal.

The B.C. Liberal party paid $70,000 back to government to coverBrian Bonney's salary for doing party work on taxpayer time.

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