Image Credit: The Canadian Press

By James Peters

Legislature Spending Scandal

Former B.C. legislature clerk Craig James facing six criminal charges in spending scandal

Dec 18, 2020 | 11:33 AM

VICTORIA — The former clerk of the B.C. Legislature, Craig James, has been charged with four counts of breach of trust by a public officer and two counts of fraud in excess of $5,000.

Special prosecutors David Butcher and Brock Martland approved the charges Thursday (Dec. 17) and James made his first court appearance Friday, according to a news release from the B.C. Prosecution Service.

James and former sergeant-at-arms Gary Lenz were the subjects of an internal investigation launched by former Speaker Darryl Plecas after allegations of inappropriate spending. The matter was eventually forwarded to the RCMP.

James and Lenz were escorted out of the B.C. Legislature by police in Nov. 2018 after MLAs voted unanimously to place them on leave.

Lenz was later cleared of wrongdoing after an investigation led by Beverley McLachlin, retired chief justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.

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