Former grand chief of Kanesatake calls on judge to invalidate 'corrupt' decision to overturn election results
The former Grand Chief of the Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) Council of Kanesatake is asking a federal judge to invalidate what he calls a "corrupt" decision to overturn the results of a recent byelection.
Current council Grand Chief Victor Bonspille defeated Serge Otsi Simon in the 2021 council elections, ending Simon's decade-long reign as the top figure of the local council.
On Jan. 21, Simon ran again, this time in a byelection for the role of council chief, and was elected to replace Jeremy Tomlinson, who resigned last year. Simon defeated the grand chief's sister, Shirley Bonspille.
"I clearly won by a fairly respectable margin," Simon said in an interview with CTV News, "but 30 days went by and the Appeals Board decided after 30 days that they were going to toss out the results of the election, saying that the electoral officer did not follow the code."
On Feb. 15, the Appeals Board deemed the election invalid "due to irregularities of the process and has flagrantly violated the democratic process of the Mohawks of Kanesatake and its entire membership."
"I'm going to federal court to overturn this corrupt decision," Simon said.
"This was a decision I was fully expecting eventually. I never thought they would go this far, though. You look at this whole mess; it really is a personal bias against me back when I was grand chief, and it just followed through with this byelection," he added.
In a federal court filing, Simon alleges the Appeal Board decision was “agenda-driven” and accuses the board of "acting in collusion with and with the purpose of furthering the interests of (Simon's) political opponents, notably Grand Chief Victor Bonspille, and his sisters Chief Valerie Bonspille and the respondent Shirley Bonspille."
According to documents reviewed by CTV News, Shirley Bonspille wrote to the Appeals Board claiming a number of irregularities, including a lack of communication confirming the election date, not receiving an electors' list, and not disqualifying Simon for attacking the grand chief in an open letter in January.
An investigation by the Appeals Board later found "the byelection was determined on a very flawed process, resulted in negligence of due process."
The consulting and communications firm PlanIT, based in Kanesatake's sister community of Kahnawake, ran the elections. The firm declined to comment, citing the legal proceedings.
Simon wants the board’s decision quashed under the Federal Courts Act and to be given his seat at the council table.
"It throws the whole process, which is already teetering on the verge, right into a lot of distrust, and, basically, people don't have much faith in it as it is, but then you add this," he said.
He also wants tighter regulations about family relations on council.
"When you have these close family ties or interests in governance, it's not good for the community," Simon said. "Really, it's terrible."
Grand Chief Bonspille did not respond to CTV News requests for comment.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Serial sexual offender linked to unsolved 1970s homicides of four Calgary girls, women
An investigation into unsolved historical homicides from the 1970s has linked the deaths of two girls and two young women in and around Calgary to a now-deceased serial offender.
Woman with liver failure rejected for a transplant after medical review highlights alcohol use
For nearly three months, Amanda Huska has been in an Ontario hospital, part of it on life support, because of severe liver failure. Her history of alcohol use is getting in the way of her only potential treatment: a liver transplant.
A look back on Alberta's record-breaking wildfire season: Preparing for potential challenges in 2024
By the end of the 2023 wildfire season in Alberta, 1,088 wildfires had burned more than 2.2 million hectares of land, and this year, the wildfire season is already in full swing.
Craig Berube named as next head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
Craig Berube is the next head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Video appears to show Sean 'Diddy' Combs beating singer Cassie in hotel hallway in 2016
Security video aired by CNN appears to show Sean 'Diddy' Combs physically assaulting singer Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016.
B.C. man 'attacked suddenly' by adult grizzly near Alberta border: RCMP
A B.C. man is recovering from multiple injuries after he was "attacked suddenly" by an adult grizzly bear near Elkford Thursday afternoon.
Australia's richest woman seeks removal of her portrait from exhibition
Art is subjective. And while many artists long to share their work with the world, there's no guarantee that the audience will understand it, or even like it.
Anglers reel in 3.5-metre-long tiger shark off coast of Florida: 'She found my bait'
A group of fishers said it took roughly 20 minutes to reel in this 3.5-metre-long tiger shark off the coast of Florida.
Scottie Scheffler isn't the first pro golfer to be arrested during a tournament
Scottie Scheffler's arrest hours before his second-round tee time at the PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, will go down as one of the most shocking in professional golf history. It certainly wasn't the first, though.