Steve Ellul has declared spending €48,475 on his failed campaign to win a seat in the European Parliament.
The former Labour candidate declared spending €24,248 on hire costs, €10,121 on postage, €7,498 on advertising and €6,608 on printing.
These campaign expenses were partially offset by the €13,500 Ellul said he raised from social events, namely coffee mornings.
All election candidates are obliged to give a rundown of their campaign expenses and income to the electoral commission.
Ellul’s campaign expenses were second only to Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba, who declared spending €48,832.
Agius Saliba’s campaign helped win him just under 64,000 first count votes. By contrast, Ellul’s costly campaign only helped him garner 9,600 votes.
The string from Ellul’s expensive campaign was mitigated in July when the government appointed him to head Malta’s roads agency Infrastructure Malta on a €128,000 yearly contract.
European Parliament president Robert Metsola declared spending €46,420 on campaigning, while fellow PN MEPs David Casa and Peter Agius clocked in at €44,000 each.
Labour MEPs Daniel Attard and Thomas Bajada spent a comparatively frugal €25,738 and €14,860 respectively.
Candidates are allowed a maximum spend of €50,000 during an election campaign.
Ellul’s spending was by far the highest of any other unsuccessful campaigns.
Labour’s Marija Sara Vella Gafà ranked second, dropping €24,806 on her unsuccessful election bid.
Vella Gafà declared the expenses were funded by her parents.
Independent candidate Arnold Cassola ranked in third, spending €22,300. His campaign was backed by donations of €9,600.
Cassola won a total of 12,700 first count votes.
Fourth and fifth place on the unsuccessful campaign spending rollcall go to Labour candidates Clint Azzopardi Flores and Claudette Abela Baldacchino respectively.
Azzopardi Flores listed expenses of €19,900 for events, printing, advertising, postage and hire costs.
However, these expenses were supplemented by a list of freebies paid for by third parties which came in at €29,996.
These included newspaper adverts worth €4,300 funded F&Z Limited, a property development company owned by former car dealer James Zammit, €7,000 in backdrops and banners funded by AF Print Works as well as €4,600 worth of cards, ballots and flyers by Printcare Limited.
Claudette Abela Baldacchino spent €17,700 and did not declare receiving any donations or sponsorships.
Comedian James Michael Muscat, better known as James Ryder, dropped €13,900 on hire costs, advertising, printing and travel expenses.
His campaign was largely funded by the family business 4JM Solutions.
His efforts won him 1,500 first count votes.
Ryder’s campaign spending was higher than that of ex-PN deputy leader David Agius.
Agius declared spending €9,300 on his failed campaign, which was funded by the €8,900 he raised during two coffee mornings held before the election.
Although the PN candidate’s budget was lower than Ryder’s, it was still just under eight times higher than the combined budget of all four ADPD candidates.