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Democracy Watch’s Government Ethics Complaints and Court Cases from 2016 on

Please help support all these government ethics complaints and court cases here and/or support complaints and cases against the federal government by clicking here, and please help support complaints and court cases against the Ontario government by clicking here, please help support complaints and court cases against the Alberta government by clicking here.



TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. Commissioner of Lobbying (Federal)
1. Complaints
2. Court Cases

B. Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner (Federal) and RCMP
1. Complaints
2. Court Cases

C. Elections Canada and the Commissioner of Canada Elections
1. Complaints

D. Public Sector Integrity Commissioner (Federal)
1. Complaints

E. Ontario government, Integrity Commissioner, Conflict of Interest Commissioner, Auditor General (Ontario), and OIPRD and Ontario Civilian Police Commission (OCPC)
1. Complaints
2. Court Cases

F. Chief Electoral Officer (Ontario)
1. Complaints

G. Ethics Commissioner and RCMP (Alberta)
1. Complaints

H. Conflict of Interest Commissioner (B.C.) and B.C. Courts
1.Complaints
2. Court Cases

I. City of Toronto
1.Complaints



A. Commissioner of Lobbying (Federal)

1. Complaints

(a) Complaint concerning various lobby groups giving the gift of “sponsored travel” to various MPs from all parties between 2009 and 2016 (filed May 26, 2016)

(b) Complaint about the Aga Khan’s gift to PM Trudeau of two trips, and Liberal MP Seamus O’Regan of one trip, to his Bahamas island (filed December 20, 2017)

(c) Complaint about Facebook not having employees registered as lobbyists, and doing favours for federal politicians (filed April 25, 2018)

(d) Complaint about Liberal Party of Canada fundraising events in recent years that involved Cabinet ministers, their staff and lobbyists, and similar events held by other federal parties (September 17, 2018)

(e) Complaint about lobbyists possibly assisting Liberal Party with fundraising that puts Cabinet ministers in a conflict of interest (November 28, 2018)

(f) Complaint re: questions about Kevin Lynch lobbying for SNC-Lavalin (March 13, 2019)

(g) Complaint to Elections Canada, Commissioner of Canada Elections, and Commissioner of Lobbying requesting audit of donations and lobbyist fundraising back to 2007 (May 1, 2019)

2. Court Cases

(a) Case challenging the appointment of new Lobbying Commissioner Nancy Bélanger because Trudeau Cabinet ministers were in a conflict of interest when they made the appointment. (NOTE: Unfortunately the courts allowed the biased appointment)

(b) Case challenging former Lobbying Commissioner Karen Shepherd’s ruling that the Aga Khan is not covered by the Lobbyists’ Code of Conduct and, therefore, she would not investigate whether his Bahamas trip gift to Prime Minister Trudeau was legal. (NOTE: Unfortunately, the courts ruled that the public does not have a right to have a complaint it files with the Commissioner investigated and ruled on and, therefore, does not have a right to file a lawsuit challenging the Commissioner’s decision not to investigate).

(c) Case challenging new Lobbying Commissioner Nancy Bélanger’s ruling ending the investigation into whether Barry Sherman of Apotex Inc.’s fundraising activities for the Liberal Party violated the Lobbyists’ Code of Conduct. (NOTE: Unfortunately, the courts ruled that the public does not have a right to have a complaint it files with the Commissioner investigated and ruled on and, therefore, does not have a right to file a lawsuit challenging the Commissioner’s decision not to investigate).

(d) Case challenging new Lobbying Commissioner Nancy Bélanger’s ruling that she would not investigate whether a Clearwater Seafoods shareholder and board member hosting a fundraising event in August 2014 attended by Liberal Party Leader Justin Trudeau violated the Lobbyists’ Code of Conduct. (NOTE: Unfortunately, the courts ruled that the public does not have a right to have a complaint it files with the Commissioner investigated and ruled on and, therefore, does not have a right to file a lawsuit challenging the Commissioner’s decision not to investigate).

(e) Case challenging new Lobbying Commissioner Nancy Bélanger’s ruling that Council of Canadian Innovators staff Ben Bergen and Dana O’Born did not violate the Lobbyists’ Code of Conduct when they lobbied senior officials of Minister of International Trade Chrystia Freeland after co-managing her 2015 federal election campaign and serving in senior roles in her riding association. (NOTE: Unfortunately the Federal Court of Appeal refused to review the Commissioner of Lobbying’s decision)

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B. Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner (Federal)

1. Complaints

(a) Complaint about federal Cabinet ministers attending fundraising events organized by lobbyists (filed December 6, 2016)

(b) Complaint about the Liberal Cabinet reappointing the Ethics Commissioner for a second six-month term while she is investigating Prime Minister Trudeau and other Cabinet ministers (filed December 14, 2016)

(c) Complaint about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau inviting top Liberal Party donors to a gala dinner with the Chinese Premier (filed December 16, 2016)

(d) Complaint about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accepting the gift of a trip from the Aga Khan whose organization lobbies the federal government (filed February 8, 2017)

(e) Complaint about Conservative Party Interim Leader Rona Ambrose accepting the gift of a trip from the Murray Edwards whose company lobbies the federal government (filed February 8, 2017)

(f) Complaint about Liberal MP Seamus O’Regan accepting the gift of a trip from the Aga Khan whose organization lobbies the federal government (filed February 8, 2017)

(g) Complaint about some of former federal Minister of Justice Peter MacKay’s judicial appointments, including his appointment of Vic Toews (filed April 24, 2017)

(h) Complaint about federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s relationship with his Advisory Council on Economic Growth (filed May 8, 2017)

(i) Complaint about federal Cabinet’s relationship with BlackRock Asset Management Canada Ltd. (filed May 24, 2017)

(j) Complaint about Council of Canadian Innovators staff lobbying Global Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland after working on her 2015 federal election campaign (filed July 12, 2017)

(k) Complaint about Liberal Party of Canada fundraising events in recent years that involved Cabinet ministers, their staff and lobbyists, and similar events held by other federal parties (September 17, 2018)

(l) Complaint about Liberal Party possibly rewarding lobbyists who did fundraising for the party (November 28, 2018)

(m) Complaint about PMO trying to influence Attorney General to stop prosecution of SNC-Lavalin (February 8, 2019) and expanded complaint (March 5, 2019)

(n) Complaint about Privy Council Clerk Michael Wernick giving preferential treatment to SNC-Lavalin Chair Kevin Lynch (April 17, 2019)

(o) Complaint about SNC-Lavalin Chair and Bank of Montreal Vice Chair Kevin Lynch, and SNC-Lavalin and Citibank Canada board member Eric D. Siegel, possibly violating federal ethics law (May 7, 2019)

(p) Complaint to Ethics Commissioner about Minister Dominic LeBlanc’s participation in decisions to appoint judges with connections to him (July 4 , 2019)

(q) Complaint to Ethics Commissioner about Prime Minister Trudeau and/or anyone acting on his behalf intervening in the contracting process with WE Charity (July 13, 2020)

(r) Complaint to RCMP about Prime Minister Trudeau and/or anyone acting on his behalf intervening in the contracting process with WE Charity (July 13, 2020)

(s) Complaint to Ethics Commissioner about Finance Minister Bill Morneau participating in approval of WE Charity sole-source contract (July 13, 2020)

(t) Complaint to Ethics Commissioner about Finance Minister Morneau and/or anyone acting on his behalf participating in the contracting process with WE Charity in spring 2020, and announcing WE Charity funding in August 2019 (July 27, 2020)

(u) Complaint to RCMP about Minister Morneau and/or anyone acting on his behalf participating in the contracting process with WE Charity in spring 2020 (July 27, 2020)

(v) Complaint to RCMP calling for a public update about the state of the investigation into Prime Minister Trudeau and other government officials obstructing the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin (February 11, 2021)

(w) Complaint to Ottawa police requesting that they investigate Prime Minister Trudeau and other government officials for obstructing the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin, and committing a breach of trust by doing so, because the RCMP seems to be refusing to investigate (July 21, 2022)

(x) Complaint to RCMP calling yet again (as DWatch did in Feb. 2021 and July 2022) for disclosure of all the details of the investigation into Prime Minister Trudeau and other government officials obstructing the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin, and a full, detailed explanation of why no one was prosecuted (October 16, 2023)

2. Court Cases

(a) Case challenging Ethics Commissioner’s conflict of interest “screens” that she has set up for more than 20 Cabinet ministers and senior federal government officials. (NOTE: Unfortunately the courts allowed the smokescreens)

(b) Case challenging the Ethics Commissioner’s ruling that Finance Minister Morneau didn’t have to sell his millions of shares in his family’s company. (NOTE: Unfortunately the courts allowed the Finance Minister’s secret investment)

(c) Case challenging the appointment of new Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion because Trudeau Cabinet ministers were in a conflict of interest when they made the appointment. (NOTE: Unfortunately the courts allowed the biased appointment)

(d) Case challenging the Ethics Commissioner’s August 2019 ruling on the SNC-Lavalin scandal because he let off many government officials who, like PM Trudeau, pressured the Attorney General. (NOTE: Unfortunately the Federal Court of Appeal refused to review the Ethics Commissioner’s decision).

(e) Case challenging the federal judicial appointments system for being too politically biased, and therefore unconstitutional. To support this case, click here.

(f) Case challenging the Ethics Commissioner’s ruling that let off Prime Minister Trudeau even though he clearly violated the federal government ethics law by participating in the WE Charity grant approval decision. To support this case, click here.

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C. Elections Canada and the Commissioner of Canada Elections

1. Complaints

(a) Complaint re: Prime Minister Trudeau violating his 2015 election promise to change Canada’s voting system (February 22, 2018)

(b) Complaint to Elections Canada, Commissioner of Canada Elections, and Commissioner of Lobbying requesting audit of donations and lobbyist fundraising back to 2007 (May 1, 2019)

(c) Complaint to Commissioner of Canada Elections about the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) and the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) possibly colluding (October 10, 2019)

(d) Complaint to Commissioner of Canada Elections about the Manning Centre and five “Proud” groups violating donor disclosure requirements and colluding (October 17, 2019)

(e) Complaint about RightNow third-party interest group recruiting and training volunteers for Conservative Party of Canada candidates (March 15, 2021)

(f) Complaint to Commissioner of Canada Elections about China-sponsored interference in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections (February 28, 2023).

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D. Public Sector Integrity Commissioner (Federal)

1. Complaints

(a) Complaint about Ethics Commissioner’s senior lawyer Martine Richard having a conflict of interest as her sister is the spouse of Liberal Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc

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E. Ontario government, Integrity Commissioner, Conflict of Interest Commissioner, Auditor General (Ontario), and OIPRD and Ontario Civilian Police Commission (OCPC)

1. Complaints

(a) Complaint re: Premier Wynne and her Cabinet ministers selling access to themselves at high-priced, exclusive fundraising events (March 31, 2016)

(b) Complaint about Premier Ford and his Cabinet using public money to pay for video ads on social media (September 26, 2018)

(c) Complaint about Premier Ford and his Cabinet hiding their private financial interests while they make major decisions in the first 6 months of their government (November 13, 2018)

(d) Complaint about Premier Ford appointing his friend as the head of the OPP (December 4, 2018)

(e) Complaint about Premier Ford’s appointment of one of his top election campaign advisers to a plum job in Washington, and increasing his pay by $75,000 (December 18, 2018)

(f) Complaint about Premier Ford’s appointment of his campaign adviser and staffperson Jenni Byrne to the Ontario Energy Board (January 17, 2019)

(g) Complaint about Premier Ford’s appointment of his family lawyer to chair the Public Accountants Council (March 11, 2019)

(h) Complaint about Premier Ford’s staff and deputy minister giving preferential treatment to his friend Ron Taverner (March 25, 2019)

(i) Complaint about Premier Ford offering his friend Ron Taverner an executive job at the Ontario Cannabis Store (April 2, 2019)

(j) Complaint to Ontario Ombudsman about Premier Ford’s staff and others giving preferential treatment to Ford’s friend Ron Taverner, etc. (April 9, 2019)

(k) Release calling on Ontarians to file complaints with Ad Council about Ford government’s false carbon tax ad (April 26, 2019)

(l) Complaint to Ontario Integrity Commissioner re: Ford-government appointed LCBO Chair’s selling access to Finance Minister violates provincial ethics rules (May 9, 2019)

(m) Complaint to OIPRD and Ontario Civilian Police Commission about Premier Ford’s Chief of Staff Dean French demanding government employees pressure police to change law enforcement practices (May 16, 2019)

(n) Complaint to Integrity Commissioner about lobbyists helping organize Premier Ford’s fundraising dinner (June 13, 2019)

(o) Complaint to Integrity Commissioner about Premier Ford’s former Chief of Staff Dean French giving preferential treatment to family members, friends and PC Party people with government appointments (June 27, 2019)

(p) Complaint to Integrity Commissioner about lobbying of Premier Ford and Cabinet ministers by Melissa Lantsman, who advised Ford and the PC Party during the 2018 election and is a Regional VP of the PC Party (July 11, 2019)

(q) Complaint calling on Ontario’s Integrity Commissioner to update Premier Ford’s financial conflicts of interest disclosure statement, and to impose strict monitoring measures to ensure he doesn’t help his family business (November 27, 2019)

(r) Letter to Energy and Mines Minister Greg Rickford asking him to disclose if he owns any energy or mining investments (December 9, 2019)

(s) Complaint calling on Integrity Commissioner to rule that Peter Van Loan is violating lobbying law’s ethics rule by lobbying Minister Caroline Mulroney and other Ford Cabinet ministers after assisting her and PC Party (April 13, 2021)

(t) Complaint calling on the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) to investigate whether any public official gave advance notice to anyone of the Ford government’s decision to remove specific lands from Greenbelt protection (December 14, 2022)

(u) Complaint calling on the Ontario Integrity Commissioner to investigate whether Premier Doug Ford accepted illegal gifts from lobbyists and property developers who seek favourable decisions from the Ford Cabinet (February 23, 2023)

2. Court Cases

(a) Case challenging the Integrity Commissioner’s refusal to issue a public ruling about former Premier Ford’s former Chief of Staff Dean French, and former Deputy Minister Steve Orsini, and other Premier Ford staff violating ethics rules re: the Ron Taverner appointment (October 10, 2019 on). Unfortunately, the Ontario Court of Appeal decided in February 2021 not to hear Democracy Watch’s appeal of the very bad ruling by the Divisional Court that Democracy Watch did not have standing to challenge the Integrity Commissioner’s refusal to issue a public ruling.

(b) Case challenging the Ford government’s illegal, unconstitutional changes to the administrative tribunal appointment system (July 16, 2020 on)

(c) Case challenging Integrity Commissioner’s rulings allowing lobbyists who campaigned or fundraised for politicians to lobby the politicians soon afterwards (February 10, 2021 on)

(d) Case challenging Integrity Commissioner’s rulings that failed to penalize 6 lobbyists who violated the lobbying law in serious ways (March 4, 2021 on)

(e) Cases challenging 3 of the Integrity Commissioner’s rulings allowing lobbyists who campaigned or fundraised for politicians to lobby the politicians soon afterwards, and 3 rulings that failed to penalize lobbyists who violated the lobbying law in serious ways (November 8, 2021)

(f) Intervention in court case challenging Ford government’s limits on third-party pre-election advertising spending as a violation of Charter rights (November 23, 2021)

(g) Case challenging another Integrity Commissioner ruling issued in June 2022 that let yet another lobbyist off the hook even though they violated the law in several ways (July 2022 on).

(h) Case challenging the Ford government’s judicial appointments system for being too politically biased, and therefore unconstitutional.

(i) Court case challenging another Integrity Commissioner ruling issued in June 2023 that let yet another lobbyist off the hook even though he failed to register his lobbying, and put politicians in a conflict of interest by fundraising and doing other political activities for them while lobbying them (July 2023 on).

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F. Chief Electoral Officer (Ontario)

1. Complaints

(a) Complaint calling for public inquiry into parts of Election Ontario’s running of the provincial election (June 26, 2018)

(b) Complaint about oil and gas industry’s ads during Ontario provincial election (August 1, 2018)

(c) Complaint to Elections Ontario about Ontario Proud’s election ads not identifying that they were 90% paid for by development and construction companies (January 10, 2019)

(d) Complaint calling on Elections Ontario to investigate gift tickets given by Mr. X to municipal politicians to attend the PC Party’s Doug Ford fundraising event in March 2023 (September 22, 2023)

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G. Ethics Commissioner and RCMP (Alberta)

1. Complaints

(a) Complaint calling on Alberta RCMP to investigate Jason Kenney Cabinet firing Election Commissioner as an obstruction of justice (December 4, 2019)

(b) Complaint to Ethics Commissioner Marguerite Trussler about Minister of Justice Doug Schweitzer violating Alberta’s government ethics law by appointing his election campaign supporter Steve Allan as an inquiry commissioner (December 11, 2019)

(c) Complaint requesting that Chief Electoral Officer stop ruling on election violations because UCP Kenney Cabinet will decide by next April whether he keeps his job (December 17, 2019)

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H. Conflict of Interest Commissioner (B.C.) and B.C. Courts

1. Complaints

(a) Complaint concerning conflicts of interest created by former B.C. Premier Christy Clark holding high-priced, exclusive fundraising events. The Commissioner rejected the complaint, and so Democracy Watch filed the court case linked below under 2(a).

2. Court Cases

(a) Case challenging Conflict of Interest Commissioner’s ruling that the fundraising events held by former B.C. Premier Christy Clark do not create apparent conflicts of interest (filed October 26, 2016). The B.C. Court of Appeal decided not to rule on the case on Oct. 18, 2017 — see details here.

(b) Case challenging former B.C. Premier Christy Clark’s approval of the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline (filed January 31, 2017). The B.C. Supreme Court judge indicated he was going to rule against Democracy Watch and PIPE UP, and so the case was withdrawn in fall 2017.

(c) Case challenging Premier John Horgan’s September 2020 snap election call

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I. City of Toronto

1. Complaints

(a) Complaint to Toronto Integrity Commissioner about Councillor Jim Karygiannis giving preferential treatment to some constituents and retaliating against other constituents (February 11, 2020)

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