Complaint filed against Rob Ford's use of staff

Just when it seemed Rob Ford had dodged controversy for a few weeks and was clawing back some mayoral respectability, the scandal that he most hopes to bury is back in the news, this time in the form of a formal complaint lodged with Toronto's integrity commissioner regarding Ford's use of staff and abuse of influence at city hall. The complaint stems from police documents released last fall in which it's alleged that the Mayor's staff were tasked with such things as buying him alcohol and helping out with his responsibility as a football coach.

None of these statements have been proven in court, so the integrity commissioner will have difficult decisions to make regarding whether to pursue the case, but it's not altogether surprising that someone has taken Ford to task on these allegations. The complaint comes courtesy of Ray Fredette, a retiree who told the Globe & Mail that he identifies as left of centre and "has participated in anti-Ford rallies in the past." That won't win him any supporters in Ford Nation, of course, but it'll be interesting to see how the commissioner handles this potentially precedent setting case.

Should the integrity commissioner pursue investigations related to statements made in police documents?