Vaughan company behind anti-teacher attack ads 'violated' election laws

If convicted, the company is going to receive a fine of no more than $5,000

Yorkregion.com
June 29, 2020
Dina Al-Shibeeb

Elections Ontario has found that the Vaughan company behind the anti-teacher attack ads published early February of this year has contravened two laws, Essex NDP MPP Taras Natyshak told people in a tweet published June 24.

Natyshak informed Ontarians online that he has “received confirmation from Elections Ontario this morning that the shadowy dark money group Vaughan Working Families violated Ontario’s election laws.”

The Toronto Star previously found that the anti-teacher ads from the Vaughan Working Families group were linked to Michael DeGasperis, a rich Vaughan developer, as well as to a law firm called Loopstra Nixon LLP. Vaughan Working Families was “registered in 2018 by an advocacy group called Vaughan Health Campus of Care,” where Loopstra Nixon partner Quinto Annibale serves on the board of directors.

In response to Natyshak’s complaint about the group, Kevin Thomas, a compliance enforcement manager at Elections Ontario, wrote to him that the chief electoral officer has “decided that there has been an apparent contravention” after reviewing “all the evidence in relation to the matter.”

It was discovered that Vaughan Health Campus of Care -- a company operating businesses as Vaughan Working Families -- has violated section 37.5 of the Election Act, pertaining to the registration requirement for third parties, and section 48 of the Election Finances Act, pertaining to general offence.

“The chief electoral officer has therefore reported this matter to the Ministry of the Attorney General,” Thomas wrote.

He added, “Once the chief electoral officer reports an apparent contravention, it may be investigated by a police service and, with the consent of the chief electoral officer, prosecuted by the Crown.”

If convicted, the company is going to receive a fine of no more than $5,000, a figure some people on Twitter said was insignificant for a wealthy Vaughan developer who serves as the board’s chair for the company.

This story will be updated once comments have been received from DeGasperis and/or Annibale.

However, the Ministry of Attorney General said in a response:

The anti-teachers ads coincide with provincewide protests by educators who have demonstrated against the Tory-led government’s changes, which include larger class sizes, mandatory online courses and a pay increase freeze for the teachers.

As both the Ministry of Education and teachers’ unions were reaching an agreement, COVID-19 created a whole new set of priorities and changes.

DeGasperis, meanwhile, has been linked to the Tories. Last year in October, he was seen at an event in Vaughan with federal Conservative leader Andrew Scheer.

Following the controversy surrounding these ads, Ontario's NDP and Norm Di Pasquale, a Toronto Catholic District School Board trustee, urged Elections Ontario to investigate.