Longtime Progressive Conservative power broker Paul Godfrey alleges Premier Doug Ford‘s office used his son’s government-funded company and an unsigned contract as “political leverage” while seeking help publishing a pre-election column in Postmedia newspapers.
asserted
office → allege → newspapers
In a sworn statement related to a legal case, Godfrey, the former chair and CEO of Postmedia, said his son Rob passed along a request from Ford’s chief of staff on the morning of Jan. 22, 2025.
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son → swear → Jan.
Two days later, despite feeling “uncomfortable,” Godfrey said he contacted the newspaper executives, who soon published Ford’s rationale for calling an early election in 2025.
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who → feel → 2025
Godfrey’s statement is part of an ongoing controversy that began last November when the premier’s office said the government had sent the results of a forensic audit into Rob Godfrey’s company, Keel Digital Solutions, to the Ontario Provincial Police, which opened an investigation.
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which → begin → investigation
Ontario Provincial Police have launched a criminal investigation into Keel Digital Solutions related to money the Toronto company received from
Ontario Provincial Police have launched a criminal investigation into Keel Digital Solutions related to money the Toronto company received from
In the court document, Godfrey alleged the premier’s office was using the unresolved contract as leverage to secure help placing the article.
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office → launch → article
“I have spent an entire career either in or around politics.
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I → spend → politics
I understood what this demand from the Premier’s office meant,” Godfrey’s statement said.
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statement → understand → office
“This was using political leverage and power over a small company to extract a benefit that Keel had no ability to provide.”
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Keel → use → ability
Ford’s office called the allegations “categorically untrue,” while Postmedia said publishing the premier’s op-ed required no special consideration.
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publishing → call → consideration
The government filed a $25-million lawsuit against Keel and its executives in January, alleging improprieties.
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government → file → improprieties
Keel filed a $100-million countersuit.
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Keel → file → countersuit
This week, the National Bank of Canada successfully petitioned Keel into receivership, alleging the company had failed to repay outstanding loans, noting lost income due to the government lawsuit.
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company → petition → lawsuit
His father’s statement, Rob said, was sent to the court-ordered receiver.
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Rob → say → receiver
When the Star asked Rob why the office of a Progressive Conservative premier needed help getting an opinion piece published by a conservative newspaper chain, he said, “I asked the same question.”
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I → ask → question
Rob said political staff knew his father, now retired, shared his office space, so the query would be easy to pass on.
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query → say → space
Rob told the Star the conversation with Ford’s former chief of staff, Patrick Sackville, included discussion of a three-year contract Keel hoped to sign with the Ministry of Colleges and Universities.
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Keel → tell → Colleges
Approval had been delayed because of an ongoing audit, but Rob said he expected the issue to be resolved.
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issue → delay → audit
Rob said Sackville asked for his help publicizing the premier’s reasons for calling an early election.
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Sackville → say → election
He said the two discussed an idea for an article and he passed the request to his father who said, “leave it with me.”
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who → say → me
Godfrey said he spoke with Postmedia president and CEO Andrew MacLeod and National Post editor-in-chief Rob Roberts.
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he → say → chief
“Both agreed the letter from the Premier would run in all Postmedia Ontario newspapers,” his statement said.
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statement → agree → newspapers
But a spokesperson for Postmedia, noting that Godfrey’s term as the company chair ended in December 2022, said “We have no knowledge of the background events described by Mr. Godfrey and note that Mr. Godfrey had no affiliation with Postmedia during the last provincial election.”
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Godfrey → note → election
Postmedia said it is often contacted by political leaders “who ask us to consider publishing an op-ed ...
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who → say → ed
If that includes a stance that is of public interest, we will publish it.”
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we → include → it
The spokesperson said it was the premier’s staff who reached out to the CEO of Postmedia to “explore the potential of publishing an opinion editorial from the Premier explaining his rationale for calling an election earlier than scheduled.”
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who → say → election
The request was passed to the editorial team, the company said.
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company → pass → team
“We will be calling the election next Wednesday,” the Progressive Conservative leader told reporters at a campaign-style announcement in Brampton
“We will be calling the election next Wednesday,” the Progressive Conservative leader told reporters at a campaign-style announcement in Brampton
“No commercial consideration would ever be required for the Premier, or any political figure, to share their opinion in our editorial pages.”
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Premier → call → pages
Godfrey’s statement has now launched the latest Ford controversy at Queen’s Park.
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statement → launch → Park
Liberal MPP Tyler Watt addressed the allegations on Wednesday saying, “if there is truth to this, then there is something much bigger at play here.
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Watt → address → play
This was potentially to influence an election, and that’s extremely concerning, anti-democratic, and we need some answers.
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we → influence → answers
On Wednesday, Ford’s office denied that any favours were requested or received.
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favours → deny → Wednesday
“Mr. Godfrey’s claims are categorically untrue and completely disconnected from reality,” Ford’s office said in a statement.
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office → say → statement
“The premier regularly contributes op-eds to a range of leading publications, including National Post, Financial Post, the Sun chain, the Toronto Star, Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal.”
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premier → contribute → Post
Sackville, Ford’s former chief of staff, said, “The allegations made by Mr. Godfrey are categorically false.”
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allegations → say → Godfrey
Reached by phone Wednesday, the elder Godfrey said he stood by his statement and would not comment further.
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he → reach → statement
“I swear by it,” he said.
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he → swear → it
According to Godfrey’s statement, Ford raised the matter during a celebratory phone call shortly after his re-election in February 2025.
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Ford → accord → February
“I congratulated the Premier on his election victory,” the statement read.
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statement → congratulate → victory
“The Premier thanked me and said it couldn’t have been done without Postmedia’s help at the outset of the election.
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it → thank → election
“The telephone call lasted another 15 minutes as we discussed various political issues.
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we → last → issues
…and 9 more, not listed.
The Aporia
