BRAMPTON, ON: With another breaking news story this morning, this time by the Canadian Press, a full investigation into Patrick Brown’s financial dealings inside Brampton City Hall needs to be launched by the RCMP.
Ontario’s Attorney General also needs to be aware of Brown’s attempt to run out the clock on a series of investigations ordered by Brampton City Council. Brown does not want the work of independent investigators to come forward. They were hired to probe numerous contracts and “questionable” financial arrangement with associates of Brown, which have already come to light since a majority group of Councillors directed staff for information.
Disturbing evidence that Brown may have committed federal crimes as a Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) leadership candidate is now formally with Elections Canada and the RCMP. It is alleged Brown used third-party sources to pay someone working on his leadership campaign. Due to the serious nature of this alleged criminal act the CPC determined it could not have a candidate facing possible federal
criminal charges and Brown was dropped from the race by the Party.
At least one man in Brown’s inner circle who worked on his federal campaign, worked for a firm that received more than $500,000 from City Hall. Staff are unable to determine how this amount was approved under Brown or what work was completed for the money paid by Brampton taxpayers.
There are numerous other questionable contracts and pieces of evidence that are tied to Brown’s CPC campaign. We need an outside authority, not controlled by Brown, to conduct a thorough investigation. On behalf of the residents of Brampton, we are calling on the RCMP to undertake a full investigation into these serious allegations; an investigation which Brown has blocked at the municipal level.
Residents have the right to an open, transparent and accountable government. As Councillors, residents and taxpayers, we expect nothing less than a full investigation into these allegations in order to maintain the public trust.
Recent allegations that Brown has been using taxpayer-funded City Hall staff to work on his federal campaign should also be investigated by the RCMP in partnership with Elections Canada. We call on Ontario’s Attorney General to also review any allegations and evidence that have already come forward as well as any that might come to light through the ongoing investigations, which Brown is trying to curtail.
Brown has a documented history of violating laws around finances and his ethical conduct. In 2018 Ontario’s Integrity Commissioner ruled Brown broke the law four times. His misleading and factually incorrect public statements as he tries to deflect from his recent CPC disqualification come as no surprise to us and members of the public who have watched for four years as Brown resorted to tactics which put democracy under siege in Brampton, Ontario and Canada.
If Patrick Brown is not held accountable for his actions by the RCMP and the Province our democracy will suffer. Brown will continue to use his four Council allies, including Rowena Santos. She is at the centre of many of the allegations and is currently being investigated by the City’s Integrity Commissioner for allegedly abusing and bullying staff who tried to protect Brampton taxpayers. Brown and Santos are now
trying to obstruct the investigations, as we have witnessed firsthand.
He and his four Council allies do not want Brampton taxpayers to know what’s been happening inside City Hall. The public needs this information ahead of the October 24 municipal election to restore democracy in Brampton, after four years of abuse under Patrick Brown.