Ontario premier says he was unaware of party's alleged Jamaica surveillance spending
Premier Doug Ford said he did not know the Progressive Conservative Party used roughly $3,000 of donor and taxpayer money to book hotel rooms in Jamaica for a surveillance operation targeting new Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie.
According to a report by The Trillium, the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party allegedly allocated nearly $3,000 of donor and taxpayer funds to stay at two luxury resorts in Jamaica as part of an effort to monitor newly elected Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie during her December 2023 vacation. Premier Doug Ford said he only became aware of the spending on Wednesday and does not condone the purported surveillance, noting that party finances are managed by his team and that he does not scrutinize every campaign dollar.
Crombie confirmed she traveled to Jamaica after the leadership race but offered no comment on the alleged spying. One outlet obtained the PC Party's 2023 financial statement, which lists $1,000.05 charged to Ocean Eden Bay and $1,971.67 to the Royalton Negril Hotel, without specifying dates or responsible individuals. NDP leader Marit Stiles denounced the episode as "creepy Trump-style politics," while Liberal interim leader John Fraser called it an abuse of public money.
Ford expressed hope such tactics will not continue and urged fair elections. The controversy has sparked calls for accountability within the party.
Why it matters
The story raises questions about the use of public and donor money for political surveillance, potentially eroding trust in Ontario's governing party.
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