Nova Scotia politician pleads guilty in expense scandal, plans to run again

HALIFAX – Trevor Zinck won’t say if he’ll resign his seat, but says he would like to run in the next election, despite pleading guilty Monday to charges of fraud over $5,000 and breach of trust for his role in the province’s spending scandal.

The Independent MLA representing Dartmouth North entered the pleas on the fifth day of his trial at Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Halifax.

“I’ve made a huge impact on people’s lives and obviously I’d like to continue to do that. It’s a job I’m very passionate about, but there was some mistakes made and I’m standing up to those now, today,” said Zinck outside the courtroom.

A charge of theft over $5,000 was dropped.

Testimony was expected to continue Monday, but Zinck’s lawyer requested an adjournment shortly after the case resumed in court, saying he needed to discuss options with his client.

During the trial, prosecution witnesses testified that organizations that were supposed to receive donations through Zinck’s office never received their cheques.

Zinck confirmed in court he was given more than $10,000 from the Speaker’s Office to cover constituency expenses in 2008 and 2009, even though he didn’t pay those owed money, except for a partial amount to one group.

More than half the money was supposed to go to the Boys and Girls Club of Dartmouth. Other duplicate cheques – used as receipts in Zinck’s expense claims – were made out to the Dartmouth District 9 Citizens Association, Lake City Woodworkers and a Dartmouth dad looking for a hockey sponsorship for his son.

The father, James Moore, testified that his son couldn’t play in a spring hockey league because Zinck failed to come through on a promise to provide an $860 sponsorship.

In court, Crown prosecutor Mark Heerema showed Moore a duplicate cheque for $860 that Zinck had made out to Moore. The document was attached to a March 2008 expense claim filed by Zinck and approved for reimbursement by the Speaker’s Office. Moore said he had never seen the cheque before and he confirmed that Zinck gave him no money in 2008.

As well, bank records presented as evidence during the trial showed a series of late-night withdrawals made from Zinck’s personal and constituency accounts – all of them made in 2008 from automated bank machines inside Casino Nova Scotia in Halifax.

“He defrauded the taxpayers of Nova Scotia and betrayed his constituents and workers and in fact the people of Nova Scotia by doing so and his conduct is frankly irreprehensible,” said Crown Attorney Andrew Macdonald.

The Crown is seeking jail time for Zinck.

“I can tell you I don’t agree with the Crown that jail is appropriate in these circumstances, but in terms of what we’re going to be requesting, I’m not 100% sue yet,” said Howe.

Sentencing will take place on August 7th.

Zinck was one of four politicians charged in February 2011 following an investigation by the province’s auditor general into constituency allowance spending.

The former NDP caucus member is the only one who now sits in the legislature.

Richard Hurlburt, a former Progressive Conservative cabinet minister, pleaded guilty in April 2012 to fraud and breach of trust for taking $25,321 between December 2006 and December 2008. He was sentenced to a year of house arrest.

David Wilson, a former chairman of the Liberal caucus, pleaded guilty to fraud, uttering forged documents and breach of trust in September 2011 in crimes that spread over five years. He was sentenced to nine months in jail and was released from custody after four months.

Russell MacKinnon, a former Liberal, pleaded guilty on April 12 to breach of trust, while one count of fraud and eight counts of uttering forged documents were withdrawn.

Like Zinck, MacKinnon changed his plea while his trial was underway. MacKinnon was sentenced to four months of house arrest, and four months of curfew.

–with files from Global News