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The two campaign staffers were \u201cadded to the list of staff attending the mission events by the Premier\u2019s Office\u201d which, DiEmmanuel said, was an \u201cerror\u201d because neither was part of the premier\u2019s office caretaker staff.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe videographer and photographer present at the Washington events were not Ontario public servants,\u201d the letter stated.<\/p>\n
DiEmmanuel, who did not say who added the staff to the list, has now shared her findings with Ontario\u2019s integrity commissioner and with the chief electoral officer.<\/p>\n
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The Ontario Liberals said the situation is an example of Ford playing \u201cfast and loose with the rules.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course there are new questions about his photo ops in Washington. It\u2019s what Ford does,\u201d said a spokesperson for the Liberal party. \u201cHe has zero regard for Ontario taxpayers and even less for the rules and conventions of our democracy.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Progressive Conservative Party declined to answer questions about the letter and directed any questions to the premier\u2019s office instead.<\/p>\n
While Ford\u2019s two trips to Washington in February were pre-planned, opposition parties raised red flags about the potential misuse of taxpayer funds for partisan purposes.<\/p>\n
Ford defended the trips saying he was cleared by the integrity commissioner, a point that was reiterated by DiEmmanuel who also shared her view that the trade-mission fell under the umbrella of \u201curgent business.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUrgent business includes any actions or decisions that may be required by the government, in the public interest, to address a threat or other urgent matter,\u201d DiEmmanuel wrote in the letter.<\/p>\n
DiEmmanuel made a point of defending Ford\u2019s visit to Washington and any taxpayer-funded support given to the PC leaders on his visit there. The public service, she said, was involved in the meetings with the Council of the Federation and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce event but fell within the standard duties of the civil service.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe support provided by Ontario public servants to the Washington mission was reviewed by our Election Period Committee and was consistent with the organizational and logistical support public servants provide on government missions,\u201d DiEmmanuel said in the letter.<\/p>\n
The top civil servant also highlighted that \u201c58 per cent of the attendees at the Chamber of Commerce event were from the United States\u201d and that the Canadian attendees at the event had \u201csignificant U.S. interests.\u201d<\/p>\n
The letter did not state who financed the trip for the 38 per cent of the attendees who were from Ontario.<\/p>\n
DiEmmanuel has not responded to a request for comment from Global News in time for publication.<\/p>\n
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