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The day so far: Rob Ford threatens more legal action

Also: publication ban lifted on names of witnesses in robocalls investigation

Chris Young/CP

THE STAT

41-2

The vote count on a motion to remove Ford’s emergency management powers and his ability to influence any of the city’s accountability officers—notably, the integrity commissioner who will investigate the mayor’s conduct

THE VISUAL

A livestream of proceedings at city hall

THE QUOTE

“Of course, I have no choice but to challenge this in court.” —Rob Ford, after Toronto’s city council voted to remove his power to appoint or remove chairs of council committees.

THE NEWS

Rob Ford: Toronto’s mayor has now made a morning ritual of threatening legal action. Yesterday, he declared his intention to take three ex-staffers to court over their allegedly defamatory statements about his inappropriate conduct at, among other places, city hall. Today, city council voted to remove several powers from the mayor’s grasp. He says council is out of line, and has hired municipal lawyer George Rust-D’Eye to fight his case. Later today, Maclean’s Charlie Gillis will have more on the legality of council’s action.

Robocalls: Justice Celynne Dorval removed a publication ban of the names of six witnesses at the heart of a trial alleging voter fraud. Michael Sona, the former Conservative staffer who worked on a Guelph campaign during the 2011 federal election, stands accused of participating in a plot to misdirect voters on election day. The Ottawa Citizen‘s Glen McGregor reports that the witnesses, each of whom were interviewed by Elections Canada investigator Allan Mathews, claimed that Sona “admitted participation in a scheme that sounded remarkably similar to media reports about the Guelph robocall.” The witnesses were all staffers to various MPs and senators in Ottawa, and one served a stint in the Prime Minister’s Office.

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