Financial disclosures dog Coderre as race for Montreal mayor nears finish

MONTREAL -

Financial disclosures have emerged as a potential issue five days before Montrealers decide which candidate they want to serve as their mayor.

Ensemble Montreal’s Denis Coderre is being asked to answer persistent questions about not filing financial disclosures from the four years he worked in the private sector following his tenure as mayor.

He made those disclosures the last election, but will not reveal them now.

“Because it was my salary,” he said. “Now I'm a consultant and I have to respect the law. I have to respect the agreement in the contract that I'm signing.”

Starting in May 2019, Coderre advised the organization that stages the Formula One and Formula E races.

He also has held roles with media company Stingray Digital and has worked to raise money for the Jewish General Hospital.

He says, though, that he has signed confidentiality agreements with other organizations that prevent disclosing that work.

“Listen, when you sign a contract as a consultant, you have to respect it,” he said.

His leading opponent, incumbent mayor Valerie Plante, questions that.

“I don't understand why Denis Coderre doesn't want to go with what's reasonable and what's transparent. But to be honest, it's very similar to what he did in 2017,” she said.

Just before the 2017 election, questions swirled around the ill-fated and controversial Formula E race, a multimillion-dollar flop whose financials Coderre refused to disclose.

“All of the mayoral candidates should be willing to open their books. It's a tradition to be honest,” she said.

The winner of the municipal election will be decided on Nov. 7