West Vancouver‘s mayor is facing calls to resign after having his law licence suspended.
On Wednesday, the Law Society of B.C. announced Mayor Mark Sager‘s law licence had been suspended for two years for professional misconduct.
“That’s an agreed settlement and I’m thrilled,” Sager said Wednesday when asked for comment about the sanction.
Sager has admitted that before becoming mayor, and while practicing law, he was in a conflict of interest in his role as executor and trustee of a client’s will.
According to the Law Society’s ruling, Sager “improperly withdrew from trust some or all of $40,000.00 in executor fees and $24,113.25 in management fees.”
“The Respondent invoiced the estate $162,835.87 for travel expenses between August 19, 2012, and May 2, 2019,” it adds, finding “this conduct constitutes professional misconduct, conduct unbecoming a lawyer.”
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Former West Vancouver city councillor Craig Cameron said the sanction casts a shadow on the office of the mayor.
“I think he should seriously consider stepping aside. If it was me, I would step aside,” he said.
Sager, however, said he has no plans to step away from the district’s top job.
“This has been in the public domain for years, this dispute with the law society,” he said.
“I’m not stepping aside, I’ve got a job to do.”
Sager, meanwhile, remains under investigation by Elections BC for purchasing furniture with money from his election campaign. He claims that he asked Elections BC if that was ok.
“I said, ‘Could I spend the money to redo the mayor’s office — because the way the office was left by the former mayor was, to be kind, not my taste. and he said ‘certainly.’”
Port Moody police are conducting the investigation for Elections BC, reviewing possible irregularities identified during a compliance review of Sager’s campaign financing disclosure statement.
“Haven’t heard a word,” Sager said, referring to the police involvement.
“That was two and a half months ago. I think that speaks for itself too, thanks.”
Sager’s suspension from practicing law begins April 1.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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