Rob Ford, Toronto’s controversial mayor, is currently
involved in a legal battle that could result in him losing his job.
The legal saga began roughly three years ago in February of 2010,
when Mr. Ford sent out donation requests for his football foundation to
official city lobbyists using official city letterhead. Toronto’s integrity
commissioner found that Mr. Ford’s actions violated city council’s code of
conduct rules regarding the use of city staff and city resources. The violation
occurred because Mr. Ford was using official city resources for a personal
matter, which is generally not allowed. Mr. Ford was ordered to pay back the
$3,150 donated to his football foundation.
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| http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/08/31/rob-ford-in-court/ |
Roughly two years later in February of 2012, Toronto’s city
council had a change of heart and voted to overturn the order requiring Mr.
Ford to pay back the money. Mr. Ford participated in this vote, without
declaring he had a conflict of interest
in the vote. A conflict of interest occurs when personal factors impact a
decision (in this case, Mr. Ford’s vote). When someone has a conflict of
interest, they are not able to fairly and objectively make a decision.
Shortly after the vote, a Toronto resident filed a conflict
of interest lawsuit against Mr. Ford, claiming the mayor violated the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act. In
November of 2012, Judge Charles Hackland ruled that Mr. Ford was guilty and
should be removed from office as a result.
Mr. Ford immediately launched an appeal and is allowed to
stay in office until the Ontario Court of Appeal (ONCA) has decided the appeal.
If the ONCA agrees with the lower court’s decision, it looks as though Mr. Ford
will be able to run in the next municipal election. The ONCA is supposed to
release its decision early in 2013.
Stay tuned for an update on the fate of Toronto’s mayor!
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