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Last week, Adam Vaughan held a party. Its full title, according to the now-deleted Facebook event, was "SORRY! A fundraiser to celebrate Adam's apology from Rob." Rob, you see, is Rob Ford, who on the morning of Thursday, September 25, of last year, used his weekly spot on AM640's The John Oakley Show to accuse Vaughan of a rather serious conflict of interest.
Ford's logic was thus: an individual (later revealed to be one Alexander Graham) donated $250 to Vaughan's election campaign; Adam Vaughan sits on the Civic Appointments Committee; the Civic Appointments Committee, on September 8, named Graham to the Sinking Fund Committee; ergo, Graham's appointment to the Sinking Fund Committee was a result of his contribution to Vaughan. "When Rob Ford tries to think," John Barber once wrote, "you can almost hear the rusty cogs grinding."
At Council later in the morning on the 25th, Vaughan rose on a point of personal privilege to call bullshit on the allegation of corruption, explaining—according to the Post—"that city staff had suggested and screened the applicants; that although the man had donated $250 to his campaign he didn’t actually know him; that his role as a member of the appointments committee was limited to ensuring proper procedures were followed; and that as a matter of fact he wasn’t even present when this particular nomination to the sinking committee was approved."
Photo of the buttons distributed at the event by Jonathan Goldsbie//Torontoist.
The next week, Ford apologized on the radio as part of an undisclosed settlement. According to the aforementioned Facebook event, the matter "is not entirely resolved," as it's "still under investigation by the City of Toronto's Integrity Commissioner."
Of course, there was also the matter of the legal bill. Hence the Track Meet-DJed fundraiser at the Revival, the highlight of which was the Rod Ford slideshow, looping throughout the evening on the venue's many screens. Above, we do our best to recreate that slideshow (with Councillor Vaughan's permission). To complete the experience, we recommend you activate your disco ball and put on your favourite "whorish pop and hip-hop."
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Our City Council hard at work.
I thought that city councillors had their legal fees paid by council (for the stated reason that their public position leaves them open to these types of legal liabilities). Is this not the case where the councillor commences the suit to protect his/her reputation? Since impugning the reputation of a sitting member of council not unreasonably impugnes the council as a whole, I thought the fees would be covered, even if the prime beneficiary of the suit is Vaughan.
I have no objection to Vaughan seeking to have his bills paid by this minions, especially if it relieves the taxpayer, though I wonder why those minions would fork out for his fees given the obvious fact that he can easily afford it. Am I the only one who bristles at a wealthy councillor and media celeb hitting the Queen street benefit circuit like an indie band who has had its gear stolen? More to the point, he is seeking to protect his reputation and career and earning potential, not council's, as he has obviously has no qualms about ridiculing an (admittedly ridicule-worthy) ideological opponent. For someone to get all puffy-chested at their reputation being impugned by another councillor, the pictures so gleefully displayed here are at the very least ironic.
Finally, this piece and the one announcing the party don't mention what it is Ford was alleged to have alleged. Part of controlling conflicts of interest, especially in public life, is being vigilant against the appearance of a decision maker being in a conflict of interest. Ford is arguably correct that not recusing oneself from a committee appointing a benefactor doesn't pass the conflicts smell-test.
F&%$ing childish and petty - both Ford and Vaughan. Feelis like junior high all over again.
True, and Torontoist should know better than to cover one hyper-partisan's reaction to another hyper-partisan.
Hopefully it was residents the ward Rob Ford represents who paid to get into the fundraiser, and not residents of the ward Adam Vaughan represents. I can't see why people in ward 20 should be paying for this.
A fund raiser is totally out of line here. This should be obvious to anyone who gives the idea two seconds thought. Either Adam Vaughan or Rob Ford should pay the legal fees.
This is almost as funny as the time City Council couldn't figure out how to pose together for a photo.
Who elects these cronies?
In his column in this week's Now, Josh Errett suggests that the Ford/Barber video is "prime for a [dance] remix".
Toronto City Council is not working well. 4% Tax hike, are you kidding me? Mayor Miller needs to be fired, as do most of the Council. Rob Ford and Adam Vaughn have both molested the citizens of Toronto well enough - represent your own best interest when you are next faced with a ballot.
The Integrity Commissioner's report is now out [PDF], and it's an interesting read.