Prince George city councillor Brian Skakun is defending his decision to solicit money from Haldi Road area residents.
Skakun said he sent an e-mail in early October to a community mailing list seeking donations to his legal defense fund but maintained he never promised to vote against the Northern Supportive Recovery Centre for Women, an addictions treatment centre proposed for the area.
"It had absolutely nothing to do with that," Skakun said Wednesday. "There was no condition or nothing on it."
Skakun was not completely sure but believed he sent the e-mail after third reading on a rezoning bylaw for the controversial Northern Supportive Recovery Centre for Women proposal went before council on Oct. 3.
"It was probably after, I guess," Skakun said.
Council passed the bylaw through the reading, with Skakun voting against. Fourth and final reading of the bylaw has not come before city council for a final vote.
Skakun said he made the move after he received a $5,500 bill to cover the cost of transcribing what was said during his lengthy trial on a charge of violating the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act for releasing a confidential city human resources report to the CBC.
The long-time council member is appealing his conviction and needs the transcripts to help make his case.
He said the e-mail was actually a response to one residents had sent to him to raise funds for their own legal fund to combat the recovery centre and made note that he was in a similar situation.
"I was basically empathetic, and yeah, well, you know what, I have the same type of costs," Skakun recounted. "But I mean, for anyone to even suggest it had anything to do with a vote would be absolutely wrong.
"The people that know me and the people who vote for me know that I have integrity and nothing like that would ever happen."
Skakun was unable to immediately provide a copy of the e-mail, saying he was not sure if he saved it.
Skakun said he doesn't believe he's received any money from the recovery centre's opponents.
Ever since legal action began in July 2009, Skakun's lawyer, Jon Duncan, has had a trust fund set up where donations for legal expenses are deposited.
Skakun first revealed that he had solicited money from Haldi Road residents during a live interview with radio personality Ben Meisner on Monday.
"I know some people want to make political hay out of this," he said. "I felt blindsided since he [Meisner] could have asked me about it earlier, but chose to wait until I was on his show five days before the election."
Skakun said he was not contacted by any news media about the e-mail until his live radio interview on Monday.
Ben Giesbrecht, who is involved in the committee raising funds for their own legal action against the city, called Skakun's e-mail "innocent" and added he doesn't know who gave Meisner the heads up.
"It wasn't the Haldi committee, I'll say that much," Giesbrecht said.
University of Northern British Columbia political science professor Jason Morris said he could not comment on whether Skakun violated laws related to conflict of interest or vote buying but added it may hurt his image in the eyes of the voters.
"It appears Brian Skakun is in the news and not necessarily for the most upstanding of reasons," Morris said. "That being said, he has history of not having these kinds of troubles stick to him when it comes to electoral support."
City legislative services manager Walter Babicz limited his comments to outlining regulations regarding contributions to election campaigns, saying candidates must file disclosure statements by March 19, 2012 whether they're elected or not.
Skakun said he was seeking contributions for his legal defence, not his election campaign.
A spokeswoman for the B.C. community, sport and cultural development ministry said the ministry cannot comment because it's only a few days before the election and Skakun's appeal remains before the court.
