Multiple political candidates from the Bahamas’ ruling Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) have pushed back against growing scrutiny over sharp jumps in their declared net worth this week, offering a range of explanations tied to personal finance, business gains, and life events even as several others declined to address questions about their wealth increases.
The debate over candidate financial disclosures emerged after new filings revealed substantial growth in the net assets of dozens of PLP candidates since the last disclosure round in 2021, with some seeing their total net worth multiply by as much as three or five times over the three-year period.
Leslia Miller-Brice, the PLP’s candidate for the Seabreeze constituency, told reporters her current $8.7 million net worth – up from $3.1 million in 2021 – reflects jointly held assets with her husband, accumulated through the couple’s shared private business ventures. Her disclosure filings show the vast majority of her assets are tied up in residential and commercial real estate and market securities, with no reported outstanding liabilities, $81,000 in savings, and $187,000 held in a checking account.
Keith Bell, the party’s candidate for Carmichael, saw his net worth jump from just over $1 million in 2021 to $3.9 million in the latest filing. Bell attributed the sharp gain to proceeds from a life insurance policy held by his late wife, who passed away recently, as well as natural appreciation in the value of long-held family real estate holdings. He noted that his experience underscores the critical role of long-term financial planning and life insurance in protecting family financial stability during unplanned life events.
For Kirk Cornish, the PLP’s North Abaco candidate, net worth grew from just under $145,000 in 2021 to more than $819,000 this year. Cornish forcefully rejected any insinuations that his wealth increase was obtained through improper or unethical means tied to his public office, explaining that the 2021 disclosure reflected an artificially low net worth after he was forced to draw down his savings when placed on unpaid leave by the Water and Sewerage Corporation board that year.
Since his election to Parliament, Cornish said, he retired from the Water and Sewerage Corporation and received his full retirement payout, which he saved in full. He added that he has continued to save a portion of his parliamentary salary and has built up additional value through personal real estate investments. “I worked for that,” Cornish said. “I didn’t steal it. It didn’t come about suddenly. I earned that.”
Other candidates saw equally large jumps that have not been explained publicly. Clay Sweeting, candidate for Central and South Eleuthera, saw his net worth rise from $1.5 million in 2021 to $4.5 million, but declined to comment on the gain when reached by reporters. Two other PLP candidates, Leon Lundy of Central and South Andros and Leonardo Lightbourne of North Andros, also reported double-digit percentage increases in their net worth but had not responded to requests for comment as of press time.
Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper recorded the largest overall increase among PLP candidates, with his net worth doubling from $14.8 million in 2021 to $28 million in the latest filing. Cooper also declined to comment on the growth of his assets. Dozens of other sitting PLP officials and candidates, including Myles Laroda, Pia Glover-Rolle, Glenys Hanna-Martin, McKell Bonaby, Wayne Munroe, and Jobeth Coleby-Davis, also reported higher net worth in their latest disclosures.
The sudden, unexplained jumps in candidate wealth have prompted renewed calls for stronger regulation and oversight of public official financial disclosures from governance advocacy groups. Matt Aubry, executive director of the Organisation for Responsible Governance, said the current disclosure framework fails to deliver the transparency that Bahamian voters deserve, and candidates running for public office must be held accountable for their financial interests to prevent conflicts of interest and misuse of public contracts and funds.
Aubry explained that advocacy groups have long pushed for revisions to the existing public disclosure law to expand public oversight, mandate regular, detailed reporting, and add clear context to asset declarations. The current law, he argued, relies on an overly opaque process for collecting information, with minimal public access to full details, no requirement to reconcile changes in net worth over time, and no meaningful penalties for non-compliance or inaccurate reporting.
Without clear, verifiable information about candidates’ financial interests, Aubry warned, the public risks losing trust in elected institutions and civic engagement in the democratic process will erode over time.