Today in an effort to head off the Serious Fraud Office investigation into whether donations intended for NZ First reached their destination, the Spencer Trust handed over financial records to the SFO. It also showed some of them to TV3. The records appear to show that there was no fraud - the money was indeed laundered through the trust and paid to NZ First. But they also show absolutely clearly that NZ First violated the Electoral Act by not declaring donations. This isn't a violation of the spirit of the law, like National's laundering of millions through a series of trusts to prevent the public from learning who was buying influence in their party - it was a clear and blatant violation of the law, which would have been obvious to anyone with even a passing acquaintance with the Electoral Act. NZ First has not declared any donations from the Spencer Trust, ever, and certainly not in 2005 when this donation was made. And yet the trust's own records show large payments to NZ First's bank account.
Unfortunately, there is nothing the Electoral Commission can do about it. When they drafted the law back in 1993, politicians included a cosy little out for themselves in the form of a six month time limit on prosecutions. It's been more than six months since the donation in question was made, so no charges can be brought. And so Winston and his cronies get to walk on this one, despite pissing on the law and our democracy for years.
There is however something the public can do about it, and that is don't vote for New Zealand First. By their actions they have shown themselves to be deeply corrupt, not to mention grossly hypocritical. And we should remember that at election time.
