Hamilton mayor faces challenge over campaign contributions

A bookseller is taking on Hamilton's mayor over corporate donations to his November 2003 election campaign.

Joanna Chapman wants Mayor Larry Di Ianni to open up his campaign records to public scrutiny.

This week a court is hearing her appeal of a city council decision that denied her access to the records. The case could set a precedent for the public right to scrutinize who supports political campaigns.

Chapman had called for a public audit of the books of Di Ianni and eight other candidates. Hamilton city council said no.

Chapman's quiet bookstore, with a cat in the corner, is an unlikely candidate to battle city hall, but Chapman is passionate about her crusade.

She says she started digging after reading a report last May. "We're supposed to live in a democracy. And the only way a democracy can operate is if politicians are held accountable," she says.

Chapman uncovered as many as 70 violations in the 2003 election, which she presented to city council in July of 2004.

When council refused her request for a "compliance audit" she appealed the decision under the Elections Act.

Di Ianni isn't disputing that several corporate donors paid more than the $750 limit. He has paid back thousands in over-contributions.

But his lawyers say that a review he launched into his books is public scrutiny enough. "The questions that one would expect to have answered by a compliance audit have already been answered," says Jack Siegel, Di Ianni's lawyer.

Customers and supporters are helping Chapman with her legal fees.