Charlie Pinkerton

The Ford government has spent $452 million in taxpayer-funded advertising since 2018 — repeatedly refusing to disclose campaign costs until forced by FOI — while the Auditor General found 38% of spending was designed to promote the governing party, and the firm behind the most controversial ad is run by Doug Ford's campaign manager's brother-in-law.

Co-bylined The Trillium's Aug. 11, 2026 story revealing, via freedom of information records, that the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming spent about $9.38 million on advertising in 2025-26, including at least $2.19 million on Ontario Place advertising — more than $1.1 million to Google Canada, $545,000 to GroupM Canada and more than $370,000 to Pattison Outdoor Advertising — with another $7 million going to the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation (Destination Ontario).

Ontario's Auditor General found that $750 million in Skills Development Fund grants were awarded in a process that was "not fair, transparent or accountable." Ford's own campaign manager Kory Teneycke runs a lobbying firm whose clients received over $100 million — nearly 3x any other firm. The Premier's nephew's former chief of staff registered as a lobbyist immediately after leaving the Premier's office, and his clients received grants. Labour Minister David Piccini's office overrode civil servants' recommendations in over half of cases reviewed.

Co-bylined the Aug. 5, 2026 report that National Bank of Canada had filed an application in Ontario's Superior Court seeking to put Keel Digital Solutions and a pair of associated corporations under the control of BDO Canada Limited as receiver, over more than $4.5 million the bank says the companies borrowed.