Geoffrey Nicholas Griplas, an Ottawa mayoral candidate, was charged with two counts of criminal harassment and two counts of uttering death threats against Ontario Premier Doug Ford and incumbent Mayor Mark Sutcliffe on September 15 in Kingston, Ontario. The charges stem from social media posts between September 6 and September 13 that allegedly threatened violence towards both public figures. Griplas has a history of legal issues including previous harassment charges and was nominated for the mayoral race on August 21.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-19,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Ottawa mayoral candidate charged for alleged death threats against Doug Ford and Mark Sutcliffe
Charges filed in Kingston, Ont., against Geoffrey Nicholas Griplas cite social media posts this month
WARNING: This story contains descriptions of violent language and imagery.
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story → charge → language
A candidate for mayor of Ottawa is facing multiple charges for allegedly making death threats against Ontario Premier Doug Ford and incumbent Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe.
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candidate → face → Ford
Geoffrey Nicholas Griplas was charged on Sept. 15 with two counts of criminal harassment, as well as two counts of uttering death threats allegedly made by social media posts between the dates of Sept. 6 and Sept. 13.
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Griplas → charge → Sept.
CBC News has obtained court documents that detail the charges and name the targets of the alleged offences as Ford and Sutcliffe, who is running for re-election as Ottawa mayor.
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who → obtain → mayor
The documents say the conduct took place in Kingston, Ont., and could reasonably be expected to cause the premier and mayor to believe their safety was threatened.
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safety → say → Kingston
Griplas has previously run for Ottawa city council in 2018 for Ward 1, which covers part of the eastern community of Orléans.
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which → run → Orléans
He has had previous run-ins with the justice system that include multiple harassment charges.
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that → have → charges
He registered to run for Ottawa mayor on Aug. 21 of this year, the last day of nominations for the Oct. 26 election.
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He → register → election
While the name posted on the public list of candidates is Geoff Nicholas, the candidate provided a full name including Griplas elsewhere on his nomination documents, which also include an address matching that on the charge sheet.
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which → post → sheet
CBC News has viewed social media posts that remain on a Facebook page using the name Geoffrey Nicholas Griplas.
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that → view → name
A post dated Sept. 6 shows a flyer for the Silver Lake campsite on fire with the words "kill Da Cliff" and another message partly obscured by the flames.
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post → date → flames
It is captioned with the words "shame on you Mark!"
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It → caption → you
A video showing the same flyer was posted on Sept. 10, where the words "mayor must die" are fully visible.
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mayor → show → Sept.
A video post dated Sept. 12 shows a trashed room where the bedsheets have been streaked with a red substance, while other markings spell out the words "F-k Ford" and "Kill Ford."
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markings → date → Ford
In another video posted on Sept. 14, a day that is outside the period covered by the charges, a man with a concealed face can be seen brandishing what appears to be a revolver and screaming various phrases, including the words "dead, dead, dead."
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what → post → words
The Kingston courthouse confirmed that Griplas appeared virtually on Thursday and remains in custody.
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Griplas → confirm → custody
His next court appearance is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 21 for a potential bail hearing.
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appearance → schedule → hearing
Police were present at a campaign launch event Sutcliffe held on Wednesday.
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Sutcliffe → hold → Wednesday
When asked if they are providing the mayor with a security detail, the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) declined to comment on any security measures or posture it is taking, citing the need to protect operational security and reduce risk to public safety.
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it → ask → safety
But it said it is taking the threats seriously.
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it → say → threats
"In response to threats against Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, OPS assessed the information available and took appropriate steps to enhance our policing response," it said in a written statement.
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it → assess → statement
Sutcliffe's office declined comment, while Ford's office said it won't comment on matters before the court.
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it → decline → court
The 2018 election
According to court documents from the Ottawa Courthouse, Griplas faced criminal harassment charges following the 2018 election.
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Griplas → accord → election
In one case, that resulted in a guilty plea for mischief and a sentence of three years probation, while in two other cases he was found not criminally responsible.
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he → result → cases
Sutcliffe moderated a Rogers TV debate that Griplas participated in for his unsuccessful 2018 city council run.
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Griplas → moderate → run
In his opening statement at that debate, Griplas said he had been previously incarcerated and was "brainwashed to perform an act of terrorism."
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he → open → terrorism
The bar to register to run for mayor of Ottawa is low.
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bar → register → Ottawa
Candidates must pay $200 and provide signatures from 25 Ottawa residents, a rule that is common to all Ontario municipalities with 4,000 or more voters.
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that → pay → voters
All of the signatures on Griplas's nomination documents are dated the day of or the day before he registered.
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he → date → documents
Starting on Sept. 1, mayoral candidates are able to access a voter list that includes the name and address of eligible voters across the city.
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that → start → city
Candidates must submit a request.
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Candidates → submit → request
Elections Ottawa staff told CBC News that would produce a record and they confirmed that there is no such record of Griplas requesting those materials during the 2026 campaign period.
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Griplas → tell → period
When CBC News asked city media relations whether they would be able to prevent him from doing so in the future, they said city clerk Caitlin Salter MacDonald, the top official responsible for the election, was not in a position to respond or comment further on that at this time.
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MacDonald → ask → time
Asked if Griplas will remain on the ballot on Oct. 26, Salter MacDonald said that certified candidates are required to be listed on the ballot in accordance with the Municipal Elections Act.
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candidates → ask → Act
The Aporia
