Take Back Alberta fined $120K for election finance violations
Infractions include exceeding a $30K limit on contributions to third-party advertisers, accepting donations from outside Alberta and Canada, and making knowingly false statements.
A year after Take Back Alberta (TBA) executive director David Parker revealed to supporters that he was under investigation for violating election financing laws, Elections Alberta has levied six figures in fines against him and his organization.
On Feb. 4, Elections Alberta posted its first financial penalties of 2025, consisting of 11 violations totalling $120,500 in sanctions against TBA, Parker himself and CFO Jonathan Heidebrecht.
Registered as a third-party advertiser for the 2023 provincial election, TBA curiously reported zero expenses or contributions during the election period.
In news that was first reported by yours truly, Parker hosted a Jan. 18, 2024 “emergency meeting” on Zoom to let TBA supporters know that Elections Alberta was investigating his outfit, but that he was refusing to cooperate with what he regards as an effort to silence him.
After the fines were unveiled, the Orchard reached out to Parker via text for comment. “I am weighing my many options to respond to this lawfare,” he wrote.
The largest single penalty was $27,000 against the organization for failing to deposit funds intended for advertising into an advertising account. Other fines include $22,500 for circumventing elections advertising spending limits, $18,000 for failing to retain financial records for three years after they were filed and $13,500 for accepting donations from people living outside Alberta and Canada.
Parker, whose signatures are on TBA’s financial disclosure forms, individually received a total penalty of $7,500 for knowingly making false statements on election finance reports and exceeding the $30,000 contribution limit for third-party advertisers.
Heidebrecht, a Red Deer accountant who played kicker on the football team at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S., was dinged just $500 for knowingly making false statements in financial reports.
In addition to these fines, TBA was penalized $5,000 plus legal costs last year after Parker failed to hand over his bank account records and list of donors by a court-imposed deadline.
Elections Alberta is notoriously tight-lipped about its investigations. Parker, not so much.
He told supporters at last year’s emergency meeting that Elections Alberta was looking into 24 “very minor complaints” from members of the public, who alleged that TBA engaged in illegal off-the-books election advertising through its series of town halls encouraging people to vote UCP.
This might have also included a talk in Red Deer from right-wing culture war icon Jordan Peterson that TBA sponsored a week before the 2023 election, with tickets ranging from $89 to $556.
After the Feb. 4 fines were levied, Parker told the CBC that TBA donors were “under the assumption they were donating to operations,” not political advertising.
Parker and TBA came to prominence for agitating against the premiership of Jason Kenney, whom Parker used to work for, in 2022, succeeding in its goal of turfing him as leader.
The organization has since exerted major influence on the UCP’s party machinery, taking over riding associations and electing a majority to the party’s board of directors.
Parker was once quite close with Premier Danielle Smith, who attended his 2023 wedding to a right-wing vlogger.
But they had a falling out after Smith told him to apologize for a tweet insinuating that federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre was having an affair with one of his top advisors.
Due to his personal grievance against the premier, Parker agitated for her ouster at the 2024 UCP AGM.
Smith received 91.5% support in her leadership review.
Thanks for the good work, Jeremy. Though it is kind of unfair the rules of mortals apply to Parker and TBA. We await devine intervention, or perhaps a good word from Governor, er, Premier Smith.
Wonder if Chip Wilson chipped in from abroad?
Why am I not surprised?? Right wing conservatives have seen themselves as above the law for years. Above the law, which they personally construct to be used against others.
The idea of a level playing field, when it comes to just about anything.....is a foreign concept to many of them. Please keep us updated........I've always wondered if these fines actually get paid...and if there's any penalty for not coughing up.