Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie has fired a salvo at Progressive Conservative Premier Doug Ford amid a new lawsuit alleging misconduct by former government staffers in a controversial rezoning scheme.
The lawsuit, filed in a Toronto court by property owner Amanpreet Jakhar and two numbered companies, seeks approximately $2.2 million in damages. It accuses former staffers Ryan Amato and Shiv Raj—and the developer Frontier Group—of promising to leverage “backchannel contacts” and political connections to secure rezoning approvals for lucrative properties. According to the claim, the men misled investors by accepting monthly payments of $55,600 plus tax, all the while failing to make any serious effort to rezone the land.
At a recent campaign event, Crombie did not mince words. “It’s outrageous but not surprising,” she declared, using the lawsuit as further evidence of what she described as a long-standing culture of backroom deals and questionable ethics within Ford’s administration. Crombie argued that the scandal underscores the need for greater transparency and accountability in government, insisting that such practices have repeatedly compromised Ontario’s political integrity.
Premier Ford, meanwhile, has denied any involvement in the matter. At a campaign event earlier this week, he claimed to have “never heard of this” and insisted that anyone found to be engaging in such “background dealing” would be terminated immediately. His spokesperson reiterated that the province is not involved in the lawsuit and that any wrongdoing will be dealt with swiftly in court.
As Ontario heads toward another election, this latest legal battle is set to intensify scrutiny of Ford’s government, adding another chapter to a series of controversies that include previous allegations linked to the Greenbelt scandal and the use of ministerial zoning orders. Both sides now brace for what could be a protracted legal and political showdown in the weeks ahead.
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