Ford's chief of staff cleared after 'overlooked' Greenbelt email

Ontario's integrity commissioner has cleared Premier Doug Ford's chief of staff of any wrongdoing after discovering an "overlooked" internal email in December 2023about the decision to remove certain lands from the protected area.

In a letter to NDP Leader Marit Stiles Thursday, integrity commissioner J. David Wake said that an email exchange between the premier's then-principal secretary, now chief of staffPatrick Sackville'sand former stafferRyan Amato, was missed.

In August, Wakerecommended that Clark be reprimanded for his role in the province's Greenbelt land swap.The NDP asked the integrity commissioner in January to conduct another review after obtaining the personal email in Sackville's records through a freedom-of-information request.

Wake said after discovering the email, which outlinesa list of criteria for removing land from the Greenbelt, he concluded that thereview into the matter would have been "unnecessary," had the letter not been overlooked.

Stilesrequested a review of the document on Jan. 12, as part of thecommissioner's inquiry into whether Steve Clark, formerminister for municipal affairs and housing, had contravened theMembers' Integrity Act (MIA).

"I have concluded that the Oct. 17 email sent from Mr. Amato to Mr. Sackville's personal email in the circumstances I have outlined does not support a finding that Patrick Sackville knew about the specific removal criteria for lands from the Greenbelt or the properties selected for removal until he was briefed with others, as he testified, on Oct. 27," he wrote in the letter.

Wake said Stiles' letter alleged that there wasan apparent contradiction in the evidence of Sackville when he testified before Wakeas a witness in the inquiry into Clark's role in the Greenbelt land removal.

"It is unfortunate that this email was not retrieved in accordance with the request for documents I made to Mr. Sackville in the Clark Inquiry so that it could have been covered during his interview," he wrote.

Sackville said the missed email "was an oversight on my part," and was overlooked because it was on his personal email, according to the letter.

"I have accepted his explanation as to how it was overlooked," the commissioner said.

RCMP still investigating Greenbelt development plans

CBC Toronto has reached out to theNDPfor comment.

Caitlin Clark, a spokesperson for the premier's office, said Thursday the commissioner's decision "fully confirms our account of this matter.

"We appreciate the integrity commissioner looking into it and dismissing this baseless claim by the opposition," Clark said in a statement.

Ford announced in September 2023 thathe would bereversing his plan to open the protected Greenbelt lands for housing development and won't make any changes to the Greenbelt in the future.

The RCMP is currently conducting a criminal investigation into Ford's plan to open up Greenbelt land for development after announcing it would be looking into the matter in October 2023.

Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said in a statement Thursday thatOntarians are calling for a government that takes action on the housing crisis following the province'sGreenbelt controversy.

"That this investigation had to take place at all is evidence of the Ford government's total lack of transparency on the Greenbelt scandal," Schreiner said.

"How many more buried emails and misremembered dates are going to be dug up before we hear some truth from this government?"