Linda Jackson, the besieged mayor of Vaughan, is coming under scrutiny again after it was found that she spent nearly $3,000 to sweep her office for spying devices, a published report says.
Gino and Mary Ruffolo -- two Vaughan residents -- discovered that the mayor's office paid Protech Consult Services $2,730 for "manual and electronic counter surveillance," the Toronto Star reports.
The Ruffolos uncovered the information through a Freedom of Information request. The newspaper also reports that having the mayor's office swept for bugs was a practice used by Jackson's predecessor, Michael Di Biase, as well.
But it appears Vaughan is on its own when it comes to having the mayor's office checked for bugs. The mayors of Toronto, Brampton and Mississauga, among others, told the Star that they have not had similar checks, and they didn't even think about it.
Reports also say the company that performed the security check has links to a company cited for a possible conflict of interest due to links to a city staffer.
Mayor Jackson sent an email to the Star where she acknowledged that her office was checked for bugs, but she wouldn't say why.
