National MP for New Plymouth David MacLeod has been referred to the police by the Electoral Commission over a failure to report $178,394 worth of candidate donations.
MacLeod’s original candidate return for the 2023 General Election was filed on February 13, 2024.
The total donations disclosed were $29,268 from seven separate donors.
The commission received an amended return on May 20, 2024. The total donations disclosed in the amended return are $207,662 from 24 separate donors.
The Electoral Commission said they are unable to comment further, “as this matter is now with the police”.
In response to the Electoral Commission’s action, MacLeod said he is “pleased this has been actioned quickly”.
“I’ve been really upfront that I made a mistake believing my electoral return only needed to declare donations in 2023.
“Of course I will cooperate fully.”
Failure to declare
Last month, the New Plymouth MP issued an apology — along with a stern statement from the Prime Minister — after the omission was picked up and corrected.
A release from the party explained that MacLeod “mistakenly failed to declare 19 candidate donations”.
Party leader and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the party was “taking the matter very seriously”.
MacLeod then stepped down from his roles on both the Environment and Finance Expenditure Select Committees.
At the time, MacLeod said he was “disappointed in myself”.
“Clearly, I was wrong,” the New Plymouth MP said. “I am extremely disappointed in myself for making this error.”
“Because of a misunderstanding that the return was for 2023 only, both the information supplied to the Party for my return and my completed return to the Electoral Commission did not include the 2022 donations.
“I signed the return believing it was only meant to cover the 2023 year. This was my mistake and I apologise.”