PPM breaks law with $220k overspend on campaign
(CNS): The People’s Progressive Movement has admitted breaching the Elections Act, having spent considerably more money than is allowed for the number of candidates it fielded in the 2025 election campaign and could be liable to pay a fine of CI$25,000. In an explanation submitted with the party’s election campaign expenses, PPM officials said that it was “not intentional and deeply regretted”.
The party said the overspend was due in part to the duplication of materials after four candidates joined its platform just days before Nomination Day.
In total, the PPM spent CI$699,751.02. Juliana O’Connor-Connolly filed a separate return, in which she claims to have estimated the amount spent by the PPM on her campaign. However, this return was not submitted on the usual form and is not entirely clear.
The Elections Office stated in its report that the nearly CI$700,000 expenses covered twelve candidates, since O’Connor-Connolly filed her own expenses. As a result, the maximum spend should have been CI$480,000, though the PPM has counted $40,000 for O’Connor-Connolly, indicating that its maximum should be CI$520,000.
Either way, for the first time in an election since it fought its first campaign in 2005, the party exceeded the spending limits — by $220,000 at worst or $180,000 at best.
CNS has contacted the supervisor of elections about the consequences for the party. The Elections Act clearly states that while candidates commit an illegal act when they overspend, a fine is actually articulated in the law for official political parties.
Despite spending more than any other party by a notable margin, none of the PPM’s reported expenditures include money spent before 3 March, as the law doesn’t require politicians or parties to reveal either spending or donations before the official start of the campaign.
The PPM blamed the overspend on a number of factors, in particular, the decision by four candidates, three of whom were sitting Cabinet ministers, to join the party after they had already begun their own campaign spending or had committed to spending on materials representing them as independent candidates.
In its ‘explanatory statement’, the PPM said that it had to redo much of the promotional and marketing material to rebrand it, but still had to account for the wasted duplicated spending on items such as billboards and flyers. Tracking the expenditure of these four new candidates before they joined the party had proved challenging, the PPM stated.
“Combined with the fast pace of campaign activity, this created significant challenges in tracking expenditures in real time,” the party said. In addition, the escalating costs of campaigning, such as advertising and event organisation, while the campaign limits have remained unchanged for several election cycles, made it hard to stay within the limits, the PPM said.
The party also said that the eight-week campaign period, during which spending must be accounted for, is too long. The PPM argued that in the UK, where there are tens of millions of voters, there is a much shorter official campaign period, so the Cayman Islands, which has fewer than 26,000 voters, could also reduce its campaign period.
The party accepted that it needed to improve real-time spending during the dynamic, fast-paced campaign period, but said there was a need for a comprehensive review of the campaign finance framework to reflect increasing costs.
“It has become increasingly difficult for candidates, and especially organised political teams or parties, to remain within a threshold that has not been adjusted to reflect inflation or today’s campaign environment,” the PPM stated.
The party urged the new government to “act decisively and early in this new parliamentary term” on campaign finance reform and to consider adding some level of state-assisted funding. As the party sought to justify its spending overrun, the Progressives said they were ready to “engage constructively in the process of reform” because Caymanians deserve a “fair and transparent” system.
In reality, the current system is far from transparent, and voters’ concerns are not so much focused on the cost of flyers, but rather on the level of expenditure and, especially, the lack of transparency surrounding political donations.
The law only requires donations made to political parties during the eight weeks before Election Day to be reported, and the source of those donations is only required to be disclosed if the donation exceeds $5,000. It is quite clear from the amounts that candidates spent that some of that cash came to them before the official period, which means they are not required to reveal its source.
As CNS reported, a significant amount of the nearly CI$1 million donated to parties and candidates during the official 2025 election campaign period came in the form of multiple donations of under $5,000. Overall, around half of the donations made to candidates and parties came from named donors, the rest from anonymous donors.
While the PPM spent far more than is allowed under the law, all of the independent candidates who declared their returns stayed within the $40,000 limit, and both the CINP, which fielded 12 candidates, and the TCCP, which ran ten, both remained within the legal limit. The CINP could have spent $480,000, but actually spent $455,422.07, while TCCP had a $400,000 limit and spent $395,000.
The declared election spending by candidates and parties is available for public inspection at the Elections Office, located at 68 West Bay Road, Monday through Friday, between 10:00am and 4:00pm.
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Category: 2025 General Elections, Elections, Politics
At least they admitted it. Thats more than I can say for the rest of them.
Would there have been a consequences if the PPM had won, would the election still stand. Did the PPM who ere elected benefit from the illegal activity?
I trust our newly appointed AG is onto all this.
Why? They arent spending public funds!!!
Not within the ambit of the OAG.
Headline could have read “PPM are complete scum who break laws and don’t care if you know”
One party paid each of their candidates a six figure salary to run so these number are 100 percent fudged.
What a joke and creative accounting at its best- estimates were that Dan spent in excess of a million over on the Brac alone. We all know what Wayne is willing to spend every election to hold onto power. At least the PPM were honest.
Yeah! We completely knew we were overspending and thus trying to buy an election but at least we were honest when we got caught! We should be criticizing the other groups that campaigned according to the rules… HOW DARE THEY!
Estimates that Dan spent over a million – based on what, the voices in your head? Sounds more like an assumption – or more accurately an accusation -than an estimate. How the hell would/could you spend a million bucks Brac campaigning to a thousand voters. That would pay for a hell of a lot of billboards and ads. Each party spent less than that across the country. Go on – justify why its a million. Waiting.
Depends how many people including other then candidates you have on you payroll. Do forget all of the “gifts”.
$25K is a wrist slap, the fine needs to be $250K for every candidate that didn’t declare, not the aggregate. Make it count and it will serve as a deterrent. It’s obvious rules are made to be bent, flouted and broken in Cayman.
Need to raise the fee for canadates to run from one thousand to ten thousand . Need serious people running.
Hard disagree; there is nothing democratic about only allowing wealthy people to run for office.
psst..politicians are above the law! unspoken rule ..right courts! ZZZZZZ
That is not an accurate statement.
Many have been charged, some convicted.
In fact, it seems likely that it helps them be elected. That’s the irony.
PPM breaking the law – I am astounded …. not
Good for them at least they disclosed honestly… let not pretend it isnt an open secret that CINP and TCCP spent way more , just did everything under the table, or right out of there pockets between Dan, Peanut and Wayne and simply just don’t disclose!!
You hear this everyone!? We need to applaud the PPM for trying to purchase an election and attack the govt for following the rules. The PPM and its followers are quickly turning into a cult…
There must be something in those made-in-China red caps.
This all seems above 100% above board.
‘Accidentally’ spending hundreds of thousands of dollars over the limit from the people who pretend they are fiscally responsible.
Lets be real about what occurred here – they actively overspent to put up those massive signs all over the place (even in areas they weren’t running) and running constant ads online because they thought that they would be the majority in a governing coalition and would be in a position where the Elections Office and DPP would be unlikely to take action after the fact
And they will get a slap on the wrist and go back to lecturing the current Government and country on finances and budgeting.
Insanity
Adds and billboards isn’t where the majority is spent. Its events and logistics. I am the furthest thing from a PPM supporter but believing that CINP and TCCP aren’t massively understating their spending would be extremely naive.
According to the Compass the PPM spent $174k on signs and posters and then spent another 103k on advertisements totaling 277k on Ads and signs alone.
And for the record they only spent around 200k on rallies so no – events and logistics were nowhere near the majority of their expenditure. So bit of a miss on your part.
No other party even came close to those totals because even with the other parties having decent signage and advertisements The PPM was almost certainly making last minute custom orders for signs which partially explains their massive expenditure. Their lineup of candidates was not even fully confirmed until right up to nomination day. They ran an unorganised and arrogant campaign and clearly overspent based on that arrogance. Its that simple.
That fact that the PPM overspent on signs and advertisements this election is even funnier when you realise they made no inroads electorally – they continue the trend they have set since 2013 burning through buckets of money to put on a show of being a professional operation while election after election failing to produce majorities.
https://www.caymancompass.com/2025/06/19/largest-reported-campaign-donation-200000-from-dms-to-progressives/
As for your point on the TCCP and CINP – I do not think they are misstating what they spent after nomination day, I fully expect they followed the law and reported their expenses as they were required to in combination with making purchases in advance of the election as both parties had plans and candidates lined up from at least Fall of 2024 – maybe you should advocate for the law to be changed rather than pretending you care about election expenses and campaign finance suddenly because the PPM gambled on winning this election and being untouchable, I have been a calling for electoral reform both for our actual system of elections and finances for the better part of a decade, based on your previous untrue assertions,
As for naivety considering I’m not the one making bold and untrue declarations which are disproven LITERALLY the next day, I think I will survive.
Y’all think Jay telling the truth? His campaign manager bragged that he got paid $30k alone
Whoever submitted the documentation must be getting raked over the coals.
I’m shocked i tell ya! Who’d have thought that anyting ran by L’il Joey Who could fail? Please lord give him more time at the top, we need the laughs
As a party with all the smartest people in Cayman, how could anything like this happen? Jon-Jon could of sorted it all out.
“The party urged the new government to “act decisively and early in this new parliamentary term” on campaign finance reform and to consider adding some level of state-assisted funding.”
NO – Absolutely NOT. Why should the people’s money be spent on trying to get the power hungry into office to misspend more of the people’s money?
I knew the PPM thought we were dumb, but this takes the cake (as in the Marie Antoinette let them eat cake kinda cake)
LOL a least they are honest, what CINP and TCCP Laid out under the table and out of their own pockets like Wayne, Peanut and especially Dan Scott was wayyyyyyy more!!! But of course lets all pretend we don’t know this hahahaha
Cross the aisle Roy
Nah, he had his chance and has proven time and time again to be just as scummy as those he supports. e.g. https://caymannewsservice.com/2020/12/minister-has-no-data-on-impact-of-concessions/
We have no use for people like him; if he wants to better Cayman then he needs to remove himself from politics.
overspent, broke the rules and still failed.
sums up ppm.
All I am seeing here is PPM were honest and declared everything while the other two parties used some creative accounting to stay below the limit. Dont tell me the TCCP Pedro and Compass meetings were not hella expensive.
The TCCP and CINP were not running dozens of online ads for the entire election period – or erecting 30-foot signs on every stretch of road they could find.
You don’t just accidentally spend an additional 200,000 dollars past the limit don’t be naive. They overspent on purpose thinking that if they won the election it wouldn’t matter.
The PPM love talking about how they have experience, and the rest of the candidates were novices – but failed to adhere to spending rules despite having been a party for 20 years? The fact that anyone votes for those clowns is beyond me.
Pure clownery
The TCCP bought CMR for 6 months straight! What rock were you hiding under? Sandra attempted to dig dirt on every PPM and CINP candidate any way she could at the direction of Wayne and Andre.
9/10 places PPM has a billboard, CINP and TCCP had one also or very close by. Except WB where PPM didn’t have a single candidate or billboard, so your statement is completely wrong. Not to mention TCCPs love affair with and funding of CMR for 6 months solid.
You people are comparing 4-5 foot signs to the 30 foot signs the PPM had all over the place with every single one of their candidates on them and also what? You think that Sandra was charging hundreds of thousands of dollars for a few appearances on her show?
PPM voters can’t do maths.
CMR was charging $20,500/month for her Platinum package and based on the options available its clear TCCP was using the Platinum.
Go see for yourself:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/zw4w3lyczcwv7k1ushkg7/CMR-Election-Packages-2.18.2025.pdf?rlkey=akepfgyv7y6kwul9c3cbluqs8&e=1&dl=0
Exactly that’s $120k alone just for CMR! And you actually believe their disclosed figures? Pure BS.
@ 6:23 and 5:20
The CINP claims they only spent 8,229 dollars on social media, podcasts and online ads.
If you can prove otherwise, please feel free to reach out to the Elections Office with your evidence. You and I both know you are just making claims which makes this even more amusing.
Anyone who has read my comments before knows I am no fan of Sandra Hill I think she runs a rag of an outlet, is completely unprofessional and embarrasses herself basically every time she opens her mouth playing tough online and then running from people in real life (for those who remember) that being said how much do you think Sandra was charging them for appearances? She wanted them on just as much as they wanted to be on, politics brings in clicks and views and if you haven’t noticed the PPM is not a particularly popular bunch in Cayman bringing on the people running against them to appeal to the 70% of Cayman that never votes for them just makes sense.
Sorry if that upsets you so much – but hey, your beloved PPM blew 700 and still couldn’t crack 8 seats – next election shoot for a million!
And they continue to break the law by allowing narcissistic crack dealing Kenny to leave his signs up.
Your tune changed on that Roy? Do we really need to dig up the quotes?
https://caymannewsservice.com/2022/07/mctaggart-accuses-bryan-of-breaching-ministers-code/
18@12:93pm – I heard MP Bryan on a talk show acknowledge that he dragged his feet on compliance until the statute of limitations had expired. Basically, Planning looked the other way.
So now the signs are grandfathered.
Seymour still has his face on the road when you head to Boddentown, how about getting that obnoxious sign down so when we sit in traffic we do not have to get sick looking at it.
Perhaps he will run into it one night ine his way home from the “office”.
We can only continue to pray.
This election spending is a farce! Yes there’s rules but ONLY after nomination day! 🙄 so go ahead spend the millions b4 you get nominated and also pay your candidates a salary to run that’s a new one! 🙄 none of that is reported smh
“State assisted funding” are you fudging mad! CNS please disclose who in the PPM is advocating for state funding.
So they overspent by about 10% and their excuse is: well, we signed up Dumb and Dumber (and Dumbest) and had to redo all the marketing so we’re really sorry. We preach fiscal responsibility but can’t stay within the basic laws of campaign finance? Idiots.
Juliana, Kenny, and JonJon haven’t been able to balance Jack $#!t for the last 4 years, what makes you think they’ll start now?
Absolute clownshow embarrassment to our country.
The fine does not match the infringement, especially for a party wanting to govern. It should be 10 times the offense.
One Million Percent Correct đź‘Ť
So when will Elections Office team be fined CI$100K for breach of the Data Protection Act? Cannot have selective enforcement of laws.
In any event the CI$25K fine is not lot of money for a political party (and one of its members could cough up the money overnight). Everyone knows that in parties consciously breach a contract (or disregard a law) if the penalty for such breach is simply a small fine.
This is the BEST QUESTION
When will THE ELECTION HEAD do his job fare and justice be served to the law breakers Julie signs we’re 2 to 4 feet by the road some were on government land government employees were setting up her venues and taking it down using government equipment to clear land for political events maybe that’s why her campaign wasn’t expensive
XXXX
CNS: Please don’t leave the caps lock on.
Julie constantly has PWD do personal work and if they try to legitimately fight it —— repercussions! DC not a whole lot better. !
The candidate who was the most honest was Mrs Ruth Bodden. This was her first try, so the expectation of winning was low.
But she ran an honest campaign and she spoke the truth. Her heart was in the right place. She would have actually been a fresh breeze in a stale, corrupted enviroment.
She did not have the big money behind her to buy votes but she did have integrity.
But alas the same old foolishness occured. Votes were bought.
I wonder if those same people who sold their vote are now getting ANYTHING else from the person who bought the votes???
As the old saying goes, “You can’t fix stupid, you can only kill it”… So suffer the consequences of your actions in silence please. You made your bed, now lay in it in silence and suffer.
Juliana approved a KYD$50mln school without students or business case. Not counting all the various PPM-district pre-election paving operations that were green-lit on our dime.
The new prison is costing 4 times the Brac school. The consultants working on it now are being paid over $8Million pushing some thing we can’t afford…anybody worried about that..?
Laws here are merely suggestions, you should all know that by now.
They overspend and their signs were twice as big than allowed. Those are the only things that were disclosed. Juliana spent her own money – ha! She spent the public’s purse to help those in need right AFTER she decided to run.
They break the rules but not held accountable.
The real issue is the lack of enforcement. Until there are consequences, there is no reason for anyone – let alone PPM (Personal Profit Machine). We will continue to go down the path of becoming a lawless society.
Didn’t help me – and I would have voted for her. Guess she didn’t need my vote.
When the PPM were in power the subject of election financing reform came up a few times, but Alden and Co. quickly bypassed it. It was not important then. Now they are in a rush to ask the government for election reform. Every single citizen that runs for parliament should be required to keep a running record of any and all donations from the moment they decide to run, and said record should be subject to impromptu audits. It is the only way to ensure that parliament is not infiltrated by the 1%, to the detriment of Caymanians.
What a load of BS but not unexpected.
Marketing materials, billboards…
Dynamic fast paced, fast paced campaign….
The party urged the new government to “act decisively and early in this new parliamentary term” on campaign finance reform and to consider adding some level of state-assisted funding. As the party sought to justify its spending overrun, the Progressives said they were ready to “engage constructively in the process of reform” because Caymanians deserve a “fair and transparent” system.
True transparency!!! Idiotic morons!
Kenneth’s billboards are still up…time to take down what was illegal in the first place…?
And now John John is following suit! NRA – Planning – somebody please save us all from having to look at their faces everyday!
The only difference here is that they told the truth while the other 2 lied. Ask each candidate of CINP how big the check EACH candidate got. Bet that’s not in their financial reporting. They also spent a FORTUNE before nomination day so they didn’t have to report it.
If you have this information from a verifiable source, why don’t you post it instead of making cowardly allusions?
I met with them, they asked me to run, they guaranteed CI$100,000 per candidate in cash.
If you have this information from a verifiable source, why don’t you post it?
Also: no, you didn’t, and no, they didn’t.
This is 100 percent true. They met with a family member of mine also and he was offered the same!
As above: “If you have this information from a verifiable source, why don’t you post it?
Also: no, you didn’t, and no, they didn’t.”
It only takes a couple of people to make the claims publicly to change the course of our country. If you’re not making all of this up, do the right thing.
Nobody is going to out the now Deputy Premier’s party. It would be suicide for their business or career. But it is public knowledge that they received large salaries to run. A couple of their candidates, including an unsuccessful one weren’t shy about telling people.
another bad day at the office for joey…
the man who had 3 opportunities in 12 months to form a government and failed…but yet still a leader???
welcome to wonderland
yep…ppm have a stellar record of overspending…
any comment joey?
any comment mrs governor?
No wonder they’re so upset by the mollywhopping they received; that’s a lot of money they’re on the hook for, with nothing to show for it.
“not intentional” ? Yes it was.
“deeply regretted” ? Only becuase they lost.
whatever, that was deliberate so that The $25000 is just more money they budgeted to spend on their campaign.
Ask for “forgiveness” not permission.
Don’t worry..uncle Dart can afford it.
Is it possible to sue to get compensation for having to watch many minutes of my life tick by whilst these gurning idiots broadcast YouTube adverts I couldn’t skip?
Same for you, a/c company synonymous with a bear that lives in the Arctic. As for the mechanic for a local garage, that spouts a load of drivel to seemingly make Caymanians think they used the cash from govt in a meaningful way, I’m not buying it, nor will I ever seek to use your services.
LOL if they can’t get their own finances in order imagine what the OVERSPEND on OUR dollars would be…SMH