Turns out, Doug Ford’s office budget is tiny—but it’s not nothing

While Doug Ford loves to remind people that he hasn’t spent a single penny on office expenses, the Globe and Mail has learned that he’s off by about $2000. According to the invoices obtained by the paper, Councillor Ford has spent $2,076.01 of his own money on office expenses since last February, including $1,529.46 at his family business and campaign firm, Deco Labels and Tags. All councillors have a $30,000 budget (not including their staffers’ salaries), and they have to post their expenses online, whether they come from that budget or are out of pocket—it’s the kind of policy that prevents them from using their personal wealth to buy political influence. Like his baby brother’s own business card scandal, this is another case of incredibly small potatoes. As the Globe points out, Doug’s office is still City Hall’s leanest. It’s funny: if Ford would just disclose his financials like everyone else at City Hall, he’d get to maintain his claim to frugality fame while avoiding the scrutiny of eagle-eyed Globe reporters. Read the entire story [Globe and Mail] »