HALDIMAND—Haldimand Mayor Shelley Ann Bentley has been ordered to appear at the Cayuga courthouse on April 16, 2024 at 1:30 p.m. to answer for charges related to her 2022 Election campaign financial statement.
The issue first came to light last fall, with the County’s Audit Compliance Committee ordering Bentley to stand before a judge after auditor William Molson revealed his findings related to Bentley’s statement.
Below are the charges Bentley is facing, taken verbatim from a Cayuga courthouse document on the charges.
COUNT 1: Shelley Ann Bentley, being a candidate for the office of Mayor in the municipal election in and for Haldimand County held on Monday, October 24, 2022, did commit an offence between May 1, 2022 and April 30, 2023, in or about Haldimand County, by filing a financial statement in the prescribed form (Form 4) with the Haldimand County Clerk which was incorrect in that it failed to record all campaign contributions and/or campaign expenses and/or in that it misstated campaign contributions and/or campaign expenses, contrary to ss. 88.22(1)(m), 88.25(1)(a), 92(1)(b), 94, and 94.1 of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, SO 1996, c 32, Sch (the “MEA”).
COUNT 2: Shelley Ann Bentley, being a candidate for the office of Mayor in the municipal election in and for Haldimand County held on Monday, October 24, 2022, did commit an offence between May 1, 2022 and April 30, 2023, in or about Haldimand County, by accepting cash contributions to her campaign in an amount exceeding $25, contrary to ss. 88.8(7)-(8), 94, and 94.1 of the MEA.
COUNT 3: Shelley Ann Bentley, being a candidate for the office of Mayor in the municipal election in and for Haldimand County held on Monday, October 24, 2022, did commit an offence between May 1, 2022 and April 30, 2023, in or about Haldimand County, by failing to ensure that all contributions of money received by her campaign were deposited into her official campaign bank account, contrary to ss. 88.22(1)(b), 94, and 94.1 of the MEA.
COUNT 4: Shelley Ann Bentley, being a candidate for the office of Mayor in the municipal election in and for Haldmand County held on Monday, October 24, 2022, did commit an offence between May 1, 2022 and April 30, 2023, in or about Haldimand County, by failing to ensure that all campaign expenses were paid out of her official campaign bank account, contrary to ss. 88.22(1)(d), 94, and 94.1 of the MEA.
The Haldimand Press will continue to follow this story as it develops, and will provide more details as they become available.
