NDP asking integrity commissioner to probe Ford video featuring trip to Washington, D.C.
CBC
The Ontario NDP says it will ask the province's integrity commissioner to look into a social media post featuring video from PC Leader Doug Ford's trip to Washington, D.C.
Ford and the country's other premiers travelled to the American capitol this week to push back against U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to impose steep tariffs on Canadian goods.
Ford went in his capacity as premier, but he is also in the midst of campaigning in a snap provincial election that he called.
The roughly half-minute video includes clips from the trip and features narration from Ford. It was posted to Ford's accounts on X, Instagram and Facebook. An original version included the Ontario PC logo at the end, as well as Ford's campaign slogan, "Protect Ontario."
Ontario's integrity commissioner cleared Ford to go to Washington during the campaign period because the anti-tariff push counts as urgent government business, "provided that the activities are not then used for partisan purposes."
NDP Leader said the video crossed that line.
"Ford is in fact using his tax-payer funded Washington photo op for partisan purposes. We'll be writing to the Integrity Commissioner and Elections Ontario to look into this and hold him accountable," she wrote on X.
"Doug Ford keeps finding new and expensive ways to erode our democracy. He's using his position to further his own political goals first — he's not looking out for Ontario jobs," she continued.
Shortly after Stiles' post, the original video was deleted and an edited version with the PC logo and slogan removed was re-posted by Ford.
A spokesperson for Ford's campaign said the video was edited "out of an abundance of caution."
"Footage of the premier being the premier is routinely used in political social content; however, out of an abundance of caution, the video was reposted without campaign branding," Ivana Yelich said in an email.
Yelich said earlier this week the PC party covered travel expenses, such as airfare and hotels, to Washington for Ford and any of his staff currently involved in the campaign. Costs related to an appearance with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and networking events were paid by the province.
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