The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) are currently investigating claims that the head of a local planning consulting firm allegedly offered campaign contributions in exchange for votes from members of the Calgary city council.
Initial reports by CBC News in March highlighted the RCMP’s probe into corruption allegations within city hall, which led to the execution of search warrants at various locations, including the residences of former mayor Jyoti Gondek, former councilor Sean Chu, and current councilor Andre Chabot.
During a recent court appearance, Gondek’s legal representative, Rebecca Snukal, sought to challenge a police request to prolong the warrants allowing authorities to retain certain cellphones confiscated during the searches.
New information regarding the core accusations surfaced in court, partly through an affidavit submitted by the lead investigator, Calgary Police Service Detective Matt White.
Originally, the Calgary Police Service, under Detective White’s leadership, initiated the investigation in July 2025. However, in October, the case was transferred to the RCMP’s Federal Policing Northwest Region unit, specializing in cases involving politicians, with Detective White continuing as the lead investigator seconded to the RCMP.
In the filed affidavit, Detective White disclosed that the police inquiry involves potential offenses such as municipal corruption, obstruction of justice, and tampering with evidence. Notably, none of the allegations outlined in the police affidavit have been substantiated in a court of law, and no charges have been brought in connection with the investigation.
One key incident detailed in the affidavit pertains to a vote on a land-use bylaw amendment application in Bankview neighborhood on July 16, 2025. The vote initially resulted in a 6-6 tie, but it was revisited after a motion for reconsideration by then-councilor Chu, leading to a subsequent 8-5 approval with Gondek’s participation.
Allegations suggest that David White, who operates CivicWorks, a company aiding developers in navigating city procedures, allegedly offered excessive campaign donations to councilors in exchange for reconsideration motions. White’s phone was confiscated on September 16, 2025, with a subsequent search revealing incriminating evidence.
The RCMP is seeking to retain Gondek’s phone, seized during a March search, as it remains inaccessible. Detective White believes the phone could provide evidence regarding Gondek’s alleged assistance to White in influencing another councilor to introduce a reconsideration motion.
Gondek’s lawyer, Rebecca Snukal, opposed the extended retention of her client’s phone, arguing against indefinite pre-charge detention based solely on speculation. Despite this, the court dismissed Snukal’s objection, paving the way for further legal proceedings.
Parties involved, including Gondek and Chu, intend to cross-examine Detective Matt White on his affidavit during upcoming court sessions, challenging the police’s assertions of political corruption as unfounded and reliant on imaginative assumptions rather than concrete evidence.
The next court hearings are scheduled for later this month and in July.