Update to the Grewal campaign finance controversy: summary of cheques and players

Updated. I've rewritten some of this in light of the publication of Jim Holt's letter to Terry Milewski, the CBC reporter who broke the story, at Small Dead Animals.

The controversy is about five individuals and six cheques. These are:

1. Sarup Mann, to Grewal, for $600 (Dec. 27, 2003) (source CBC)
2. Barj Dahnan, to Grewal, for $600 (Dec. 27, 2003) (source CBC)
3. Barj Dahnan, to Nina Grewal, for $1800 (after Feb. 2004) (source CBC)
4. Jagdeep Brar (Imperial Plumbing), to Grewal, for $1000 (31 March) (scan here)
5. Jaspal Atwal, to Grewal, $500 cheque (14 January 2003) (source CTV)
6. Kandola, $200 (unknown date--but appropriately registered with Elections Canada) (see letter at SDA)

Two different explanations have been given for the first two cheques. First, we have been told that cheques 1 and 2 were written 4 days before the 2004 law that would have required that the funds be reported and receipts given. So, provided that Grewal did not promise a receipt when he accepted the cheques, there was no wrong doing. The second explanation, which we know learn about now (but have been getting pieces of the last few days) is that the long delay in seeking a receipt undermines the donors' claims, as does the association of Mann with Dosanjh.

For cheque 3, the rules were clearly broken, as Holt admits (the error was "simply an oversight on the part of a volunteer who was supposed to issue a receipt"; ource, Vancouver Sun; see now Holt's letter) If this was an error it was a double oversight--the receipt was never given and the donation was not registered with Elections Canada. But since this cheque was for Nina's campaign, it should be Nina's problem, not Gurmant's.

Cheque 4 is a bit of a mystery. It is deposited into Grewal's account without his signature; and he was in Ottawa when the cheque was dated and deposited.

(Have to run)