Resources:
CBC story: Ford's housing policy director latest official to resign amid Greenbelt scandal, premier says
CTV News story: Ontario minister resigns from Ontario PC Party amid contradicting accounts of Las Vegas trip
Mississauga News Toronto Star story: Second Doug Ford cabinet minister resigns over Greenbelt controversy
Youtube video for FLATO Developments
Excerpt from Integrity Commissioner's Report:
"[589] On June 29, and July 24, 2023, published media articles reported sources had alleged that in early 2020, Amin Massoudi went on a trip to Las Vegas with Shakir Rehmatullah and then-Member of Provincial Parliament Kaleed Rasheed. At the time, Mr. Massoudi was principal secretary to Premier Ford. The article also reported that Mr. Rehmatullah’s companies have received at least five MZOs since 2020, and that they owned lands that were removed from the
Greenbelt in 2022.
[590] Given the potential relevance of these allegations to this inquiry, I asked Mr. Massoudi, Mr. Rehmatullah and Mr. Truesdell to appear for a second interview. I also asked Mr. Rasheed to attend for an interview. Ultimately, given the focus of this inquiry on Minister Clark, I am not relying on evidence about the Las Vegas trip to reach any findings with respect to Minister Clark and make no findings with respect to it, but am summarizing the evidence gathered in this report to show the investigative work that was done in this regard"
...
[599] Mr. Rasheed also told me that he is friends with Mr. Massoudi and Mr. Truesdell and that they made a plan to go to Las Vegas in December 2019, just after the legislature adjourned, as Mr. Truesdell had recently finished his federal election campaign and there was an opportunity to go on a “boys’ trip” before his life was going to change with the arrival of a baby.
[600] Mr. Rasheed told me he booked the flights and hotel. He said that while he worked in the private sector for a tech company, he had been to Las Vegas many times for tech shows, but that he had only been there once, in December 2019, since being elected to the legislature. He provided me with an invoice from a travel agent for three flights to Las Vegas on December 6, 2019, returning December 8, 2019, indicating he paid $4,550 in cash for the flights, including two at $1,400 and one at $1,750. He also provided an email from the Wynn Las Vegas hotel indicating he had booked three rooms, but he also advised that he could not find proof of payment for the
hotel. He advised he contacted the hotel numerous times for assistance in obtaining proof of payment but received no response. He said he believes Mr. Truesdell and Mr. Massoudi paid him back. He searched for proof of payment and provided me with a December bank statement showing a deposit of $2,000 on December 20, 2019. He advised he received $1,000 each from Mr. Truesdell and Mr. Massoudi and cannot recall the particulars of how they repaid the balance
of the monies owed for the trip.
[601] Mr. Rasheed said he has been close friends with Mr. Rehmatullah for many years, but has never gone to Las Vegas with him. He said he recalls seeing Mr. Rehmatullah in the lobby of the hotel in December 2019 and was shocked to see his friend there, and said to him “I thought you were going to be in China?” He also recalls saying something like “it’s good to see you.” Mr. Rasheed said he could not recall which day of the trip this occurred, but he recalled that Mr. Massoudi was there. He believes they may have been heading out to golf at the time. He said hedid not make plans to see Mr. Rehmatullah later in Las Vegas as he was there “with his own
people.”
[602] In December 2021, Mr. Rasheed took steps to put in place an ethics screen with respect to Mr. Rehmatullah. This occurred after I provided him with advice to put such a screen in place when it was disclosed to me that Mr. Rasheed’s wife worked for Mr. Rehmatullah. During his interview, Mr. Rasheed told me he recalls being asked to step out of a fall 2022 cabinet meeting by a staff member of the Cabinet Office. While he was not told the subject of that Cabinet discussion, he now believes that was the meeting when the Greenbelt matter was discussed.
[603] Mr. Rasheed said he keeps his work as an elected official separate from his friendship with Mr. Rehmatullah and they do not talk about their work, except that he is aware of Mr. Rehmatullah’s general request to “cut the red tape.” Mr. Rasheed said he has no recollection of the meeting that Mr. Truesdell recalled (where Mr. Truesdell first met Mr. Rehmatullah). Following his interview, Mr. Rasheed searched his calendar and provided me with a calendar invitation for a meeting on February 26, 2019, for which Mr. Beduz was recorded as the organizer.
Excerpts from footnotes in Integrity Commissioner's Report:
"33 Charlie Pinkerton, “Doug Ford’s right-hand man, PC MPP went to Las Vegas with Greenbelt developer in 2020: sources,” The Trillium (June 29, 2023), online: https://www.thetrillium.ca/news/the-trillium-investigations/doug-
Charlie Pinkerton, “Now-housing policy director for Premier Ford also went to Vegas with Greenbelt developer: sources”,
The Trillium (July 24, 2023), online: https://www.thetrillium.ca/insider-news/politics/now-housing-policy-director-
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