The city’s integrity commissioner is looking into whether Mayor Rob Ford breached city rules in using his office as a backdrop for a campaign video.
The video, titled “What customer service excellence means to me,” was posted to the mayor’s YouTube channel Wednesday. In it, the mayor is seen sitting in his city hall office discussing his routine around returning phone calls to constituents.
The video also shows Ford hugging residents in Toronto Community Housing buildings and talking about how he runs the city like a business.
The video was posted on the “Ford for Mayor” YouTube channel, a social media account listed on the mayor’s campaign website.
The mayor’s critics quickly took to social media to point out the use of city resources in the campaign video.
In an email to CP24, the city confirmed that the integrity commissioner is looking into the matter.
“The Integrity Commissioner is aware of the matter and is looking into it,” a spokesperson for the city told CP24.
Asked about the possible contradiction Wednesday, the mayor said he’s simply showing constituents what it is he does.
“It’s what I do every day. I return calls. I go out and see people,” Ford told reporters at a ribbon-cutting event for a park late Wednesday afternoon. “That’s just a portion of the day of Rob Ford’s life. That is something the people want to see and that’s what I’m showing them.”
Pressed about whether he believes he broke the rules with the video, Ford said it’s not his call to make.
“That’s not up to me to determine,” Ford said.
He added that reporters have often interviewed him about campaign-related issues in his office.
When the video was first posted, it clearly showed a list of constituents’ phone numbers as the mayor reviewed it in a car. The video was taken down and then reposted Wednesday with the numbers blurred out.
When asked about the complaint with the integrity commissioner, Ford laughed.
“Is that the first one,” he asked reporters sarcastically. “The integrity Commissioner – I must keep her employed. There must be hundreds, thousands of claims – I don’t know how many, but every day there are complaints. It’s frivolous. It’s political. You guys know it’s political, I know it’s political.”
Ford then launched into a list of accomplishments and said he would go on saving taxpayers money.
Throughout his time as mayor and as a councillor, the mayor has frequently been the subject of complaints to the integrity commissioner’s office.
Most recently, the mayor has been the subject of complaints over his use of racial slurs and about a report in the Globe and Mail alleging he and his brother lobbied at the city on behalf of a business their family company has business dealings with.
The Fords have denied any wrongdoing.
If the integrity commissioner determines that a member of council has violated the code of conduct, that person could face fines or suspension by city council.
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