Related correspondence:
- e-mail to Martha Burton, 15 - 22 September 2010
- Letter to Mayor Gregor Robertson, 23 September, 15 October 2010.
The Vancouver SUN reports that Joel Solomon and his company, Renewal Partners, were the second biggest contributor to the 2008 municipal election campaign of Mayor Gregor Robertson and his political party, Vision Vancouver. Joel Solomon/Renewal Partners were second only to C.U.P.E., the largest trade union in British Columbia.
According to the Vancouver Sun, Joel Solomon brought in about $330,000.
In contrast to C.U.P.E. which funded many candidates in many ridings, Joel Solomon and Renewal Partners gave almost all of their campaign support to a single candidate and a single political party: Mayor Gregor Robertson.
The Vancouver SUN's database indicates that Joel Solomon personally gave $9,040 to Vision Vancouver and Renewal Partners, the company of which Joel Solomon is CEO, contributed $70,469. Strategic Communications, a P.R. firm of which Renewal Partners is a significant client, contributed $83,314.
U.S. tax returns say that Joel Solomon is the President of the Endswell Foundation and that Martha Burton is the Sr. Vice President. Ms. Burton is also the Treasurer of Vision Vancouver.
Campaign Finance Disclosure from Vision Vancouver
According to campaign finance disclosure statements filed and made public by Vision Vancouver, a company called Interdependent Investments Ltd. contributed $6,000 in two contributions: $5,000 during the 2008 municipal campaign and $1,000 in June of 2010.
Vision Vancouver Campaign Finance Disclosure
- Vision Vancouver Campaign Finance Disclosure - 19 March 2009
- Vision Vancouver Campaign Finance Disclosure - 30 June 2010
A company search (shown below) shows that the directors and officers of Interdependent Investments Ltd. are Joel Solomon and Martha Burton.
Addresses for Interdependent Investments Ltd.
- For the 2008 contribution of $5,000, the address given for Interdependent Investments Ltd. is 610-163 W Hastings Street in Vancouver. According to government records, this is a former address of both Tides Canada and Renewal Partners.
- For the 2010 contribution of $1,000, the address given is Unit 200-220 Cambie Street. Referring to Tides Canada, Renewal Partners and the Endswell Foundation, Joel Solomon once wrote, "all called 220 Cambie home at some point."
Endswell Payments to Interdependent Investments Ltd./IIL Ltd.
U.S. tax returns show that since 1997, the Endswell Foundation has made payments to three entities by the names of 1)" Interdependent Investments" 2) "Interdependent In" and 3) "IIL Ltd." For 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008, some of the amounts reportedly paid to "Interdependent In" and "IIL Ltd." are identical. This would seem to indicate that "ILL Ltd." is an abbreviation for "Interdependent Investments."
If amounts paid to IIL Ltd. were, indeed, paid to Interdependent Investments then it follows that since 1997, the Endswell Foundation has paid a total of $1.4 million to Interdependent Investments Ltd. for "consulting services." In my opinion, this raises a series of questions:
- What "consulting services" did Interdependent Investments provide to the Endswell Foundation for a total of $1.4 Million since 1997?
- Who provided these services?
- Were these services provided by Joel Solomon and Martha Burton?
- Does Interdependent Investments have employees that were paid?
- Where did the $1.4 Million go?
- How much of the total revenues of Interdependent Investments Ltd. is from the Endswell Foundation?
- What is the origin of the $6,000 that Interdependent Investments Ltd. contributed to Vision Vancouver?
- Did any of that money originate from the Endswell Foundation?
NOTE: The above photo of Joel Solomon is from The Vancouver SUN.
Excerpts from U.S. tax returns:
