Mounties are investigating allegations money was offered in exchange for a council vote at Calgary city hall last summer, according to court documents obtained by Global News.
The new revelations into the probe come months after the RCMP carried out search warrants at the homes of former Calgary mayor Jyoti Gondek, former Ward 4 councillor Sean Chu, and sitting Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot.
The court documents are part of an application to extend the warrants, which would allow police to keep Gondek’s phone for several more months.
According to an affidavit signed by Det. Matt White — a Calgary Police Service investigator who has been seconded to the RCMP unit investigating the matter — the probe centres around allegations of municipal corruption, obstruction of justice and fabricating evidence.
None of the allegations have been proven in court and no charges have been laid.
The court documents reveal the Calgary Police Service began an investigation into the circumstances surrounding a proposed land-use change in downtown Bankview area that was in front of council on July 16, 2025.
The application, which aimed to change the zoning of several properties to a Direct Control District, was defeated in a 6-6 tie.
Gondek wasn’t present for the vote, in which Chu was one of the votes in opposition.
Later in the meeting, Chu tabled a motion to reconsider the vote.
“I realize that I voted wrong,” he told council during the meeting.
The land-use change was ultimately approved 8-5 after Chu changed his vote; Gondek was also present and voted in favour.
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It all happened four months before the fall municipal election.
“Initial information received by police was that David White, who runs a company that assists developers navigate City of Calgary processes called CivicWorks, had been offering campaign donations that exceeded the maximum allowed to councillors, in exchange for them tabling a reconsideration motion,” reads the affidavit.
According to court documents, White’s phone was seized on Sept. 16 and the search “yielded evidence of the offences.”
“It was determined that Gondek had provided guidance to White on a tactic to approach another councillor in an effort to secure a reconsideration motion,” the document read.
“The reconsideration created an opportunity to reopen voting on the application so Gondek could cast a ballot in favour of it.”
White’s phone was returned to him, the document read, and Global News has learned Chabot’s phones were also returned.
Allan Fay, the lawyer representing White, said his client has “no comment at this time.” Chu’s lawyer did not respond to Global News’ request for comment.
Police now want to keep Gondek’s phone as investigators believe it “will afford evidence pertaining to Gondek counselling White,” but officers have been unable to unlock it without the passcode.
Gondek’s lawyer, Rebecca Snukal, won’t comment on the allegations in the affidavit, but is arguing against the application to extend the hold on her client’s phone.
In Snukal’s response, she said the investigators’ application is “on the basis of speculation alone,” and that Gondek’s vote was “mathematically superfluous to the outcome.”
She hopes to cross-examine police at a hearing scheduled for later this month.
Municipal Lobbyist Registry
Calgary’s current mayor, Jeromy Farkas, said the situation has raised “important questions” about how influence is exercised at city hall and how decisions are made.
He told reporters Thursday he and other city councillors plan to introduce a motion that explores establishing a municipal lobbyist registry, as a tool to improve accountability and transparency.
“Calgarians deserve to know who is seeking to influence public policy, who they are meeting with, and on whose behalf they are acting,” Farkas said.
“As Calgary grows, our accountability measures must grow alongside us.”
Although Farkas said it would be “inappropriate” to comment on the RCMP investigation, he said “recent events” have reinforced the importance of stronger transparency measures.
Ward 2 Coun. Jennifer Wyness, who served on the previous city council, said a lobbyist registry is simply a “headline grabber” and won’t solve the issue the RCMP is alleging happened.
“I think what we’re seeing is council jumping to conclusions without allowing a police investigation to conclude,” Wyness said.
“When you go and make policy changes without allowing the RCMP to conclude its investigation, you are creating problems and opening doors for other negative impacts on council.”
Wyness noted councillors already disclose who they meet with in their offices.
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