UPDATE: Audit committee dismisses complaint about Norfolk mayor’s campaign

Norfolk County’s municipal election compliance audit committee on Wednesday dismissed an application for an audit of Mayor Amy Martin’s election campaign.

The committee voted unanimously in favor of dismissing the application filed by former Mayor Kristal Chopp after less than an hour of deliberations.

No reasons were provided for the committee’s decision.

At issue was an allegation by Chopp that Martin and her election team practiced “cybersquatting” or the process of grabbing internet domain names of opponents and either blocking them from being used or using them to divert traffic to someone else’s campaign.

More than just using Chopp’s name, the former mayor claims the cost of nailing down those domain purchases was not disclosed in Martin’s election compliance materials.

Chopp’s allegations were included in a 50-page document that was submitted to the committee and posted on Norfolk County’s website attached to the meeting agenda.

Speaking at Wednesday’s meeting, Chopp said some might say her application is sour grapes.

“The reality is I don’t have any aspirations to return to politics,” Chopp said. “However, as a resident and former elected official, I do believe that elections should be about ideas and actions, they should not be about cheap games and manipulative tactics.”

Chopp said she brought the complaint forward to do her part to ensure elections are based on good ethical acts and not “I’ve got you games.”

After being reminded that the committee’s focus is financial, not ethical, Chopp said she believes her submission meets the requisite standard of reasonable grounds for the committee to order an audit of Martin’s campaign finances.

“At the end of the day, domain names were bought that were linked directly to Amy’s campaign website and there was no accounting for it except for the one very unusual contribution,” Chopp said. “Other materials that were subject to debate and the campaign were also created and sold during the campaign and again, no accounting.

“In short, I think the committee has an obligation to send this matter to an auditor to further investigate these matters.”

Martin said the information submitted by Chopp in her application for an audit is a lot to unpack. The application alleviates that her (Martin’s) financial statements and the statements from a chartered accounting firm are untruthful.

“I stand before you today, just as I stood before Norfolk County’s deputy clerk on March 29, 2023 when I submitted my results and I publicly state that they are truthful.”

Martin said her financial statements have been verified by a professional accounting firm.

The information contained in the “lengthy complaint submission” is difficult to relate to the financial review that the compliance committee would undertake, Martin said.

“For the record, again, I did not participate in the purchase of domain names or the linking of any website,” Martin said.

Martin said she did not accept money from anyone as it relates to the web page

“I did not create, organize, pay for, buy or sell or even wear a T-shirt as suggested in the complaint documents besides the ones the directly stated my logo on them,” Martin said. “All of which have been properly accounted for and listed as expenses and revenue in my statements.

“Furthermore, I could not want to distance myself more from the brand that is Kristal Chopp.”

Martin called the application misleading to the committee and public because it is written as fact. She said it isn’t the first time she has heard the allegations which she described as defamatory.

The allegations serve to shift attention away from the good work being done by the new council, Martin said.

By way of example, Martin said the submission states that “Amy Martin’s failure to disclose $1,000 raises several questions.”

Martin said, in response, “I did not fail to disclose.”

Martin said that to assume she was the only person who didn’t want to see Chopp return as mayor is absurd.

“Clearly there were many others who had an interest in change around the council table,” Martin said. “14,271 voters to be exact, which is 73.55 per cent of the voter turnout in this election.”

Following the committee’s decision, Martin thanked them for their work.

“The committee did a great job, they did what they were supposed to do,” Martin said. “I’m just ready to get back to work.”

However, the committee’s decision might not be the end of the issue.

Chopp said she has 15 days to file an appeal of the decision to the Superior Court.

Asked if she plans to appeal the decision, Chopp said “likely” and “it’s possible.”

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