Trial date set for Harvey

By RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff Aug 25 2006 http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/
Vernonites will have to wait until mid-September to find out what the future holds for their former mayor. Court house discussions Wednesday have resulted in a Sept. 20 sentencing date being set for Sean Harvey. On Monday, Harvey pled guilty to breach of trust by a public official. Harvey resigned as mayor in July 2005 after a criminal investigation into his expense account while he was in office. He submitted fraudulent expense claims for meals with public officials which never took place. Harvey could not be reached for comment, but on Monday, Harvey told the media that, “What I did was wrong.” Despite his actions, Harvey still has some strong supporters. “Sean turned the corner on our little town,” said Eleanor Down, a longtime volunteer in the community. Crown counsel is seeking a conditional sentence of 18 months including house arrest and community service. Harvey’s lawyer, though, has challenged Crown’s recommendation, saying that house arrest of eight months to a year would be more appropriate given that he has been paying restitution to the city, has been co-operative with the investigation, was humiliated in public and has just found full-time employment after searching for a year. City officials are among those waiting to see what happens Sept. 20. “It will bring this chapter to an end,” said Mayor Wayne Lippert. However, the RCMP continue to investigate Harvey’s private business activities in relation to his tenure as mayor. Lippert has not received any updates on the investigation recently. “Hopefully we’ll have something in a couple of months,” he said.