John Tory violated code of conduct through relationship with staffer: Integrity commissioner

Toronto’s integrity commissioner says the city’s former mayor broke the civic ethics code when he engaged in a relationship with a staffer.

The 122-page report from Jonathan Batty finds John Tory violated Toronto’s code of conduct by not disclosing his relationship. The findings also state Tory violated the code by voting on the city’s FIFA World Cup bid, since the staffer, referred to as Ms. A in the report, went on to work at a company involved in the matter.

Batty says Tory told him about the affair and asked him to review it on Feb. 10, the same day the former mayor announced he would be resigning.

Batty described the relationship in his report as “on and off” between the summer of 2020 and early 2023, and one that was “emotionally intimate” but involved “very limited” physical contact.

“While they shared many interests and enjoyed spending time together, Ms. A said her interest in having a relationship was limited by their 38-year age difference and the fact she wanted to have her own family,” Batty wrote.

“She wanted to get married and have children and understood Mr. Tory was married and, at his stage of life, was not going to give her any of those things.”

The investigation considered six issues as it pertained to Tory’s relationship. The findings say Tory violated the code by failing to adhere to the city’s ‘Human Resources Management and Ethical Framework’ by not disclosing the relationship when it began.

“Ms. A was not provided a ‘safe work environment’ as required by the Ethical Framework for Members’ Staff. Mr. Tory put his private interests first. He also did not follow the guidance in the Preamble to arrange his private affairs in a manner that promotes public confidence and bears close public scrutiny,” the commissioner wrote.

He was also found to be in violation of the code by voting on the city’s 2026 FIFA World Cup bid. Tory had long advocated for the city to host World Cup matches in 2026.

The integrity commissioner’s findings suggest he acted inappropriately by voting yes to the city hosting the games despite Ms. A working on the World Cup file getting a permanent position with Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) within weeks of the council vote.

“While Mr. Tory may have believed the community legacy and economic benefits of the World Cup were important, it is reasonable to infer that he had to have known that voting on these matters would be of direct benefit to Ms. A’s future at MLSE,” reads the report.

Batty found that Tory did not violate the code on the four other issues, which included:

• whether or not he violated the city’s Human Rights and Anti-harassment/discrimination policy
• whether or not he used his status as mayor to improperly influence senior executives at organizations where ‘Ms. A’ went on to work
• whether or not he used his status to benefit ‘Ms. A’ in the mayor’s office
• whether or not he included ‘Ms. A’ in his official trips

“Mr. Tory is no longer a member of city council, self-reported this matter and accepts the Integrity Commissioner’s findings about his conduct,” reads the recommendations from Batty. “In these circumstances, the Integrity Commissioner does not recommend a penalty or remedial action as it would serve no purpose.”

In a statement released Thursday, Tory says he accepts the findings and says he should have “handled the matter differently.”

“I sincerely regret the impact my actions had on so many people in my life and on the people of the City of Toronto, who it was my honour to serve for so many years,” reads the statement. “I have tried to deal with this in an honourable manner and I am looking forward to finding new ways to contribute to the success of the city I love.”

Tory resigned after publicly revealing the relationship in a shocking news conference in February. The scandal-tainted departure set the stage for Toronto’s mayoral byelection in June that resulted in current mayor Olivia Chow being elected.

The woman told the commissioner that the month after their relationship became public and Tory resigned was one of the worst of her life.

“(What) the media has said, how they’ve embellished on Mr. Tory’s statement is not how I would – that’s not how I would describe our relationship,” the commissioner quoted her as saying in an interview with his office.

“And trying to explain to people that I love how much somebody meant to me when there’s speculation in the media that’s inaccurate has been a lot. I’m tired, really tired.”

The mayor and city councillors are governed by a code of conduct, which says they should avoid real and apparent conflicts of interest and arrange their private affairs in a manner that promotes close public scrutiny.

With files from The Canadian Press