The Legislative Assembly Management Committee (LAM-C) voted unanimously on Thursday to appoint a top legal official to conduct an independent misconduct review into the suspended legislative officials.
The review will investigate whether Legislative Clerk Craig James and Sergeant-at-Arms Gary Lenz breached their administrative duties following a report last month by Speaker of the House, Darryl Plecas.
Plecas's initial report outlined allegations of spending abuses by James and Lenz, including lavish foreign trips, clothing perks and topped up retirement and vacation pay outs. Plecas says he's sure the investigation will back up his findings, and come to a conclusion that will be beneficial to British Columbian's.
"We will make a review, which is independent of anything I say. We will have a work review process, winch will be independent of what I said. And then of course, one could argue that the facts are independent of what I say. So collectively, all of that leaves me very confident where this will end."
Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Mike Farnworth, is a member of the all-party Legislative Assembly Members Committee. He says, along with the House Leaders, an eminent jurist, such as a retired Supreme Court Justice of Canada or BC, will lead the investigation into the misconduct allegations. Farnworth adds that he wants the matter resolved quickly.
LAM-C also voted in favour of having the Auditor General conduct a comprehensive financial audit of the two officials, as well as publicly releasing a new series of reports by Plecas, including the responses from Lenz and James.
The two suspended officials remain on leave with pay, pending the investigation.