And that’s why I moved the motion to have her (April 22) allegations investigated,” Brown said.īrown was the leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party until 2018, when he resigned following sexual misconduct allegations which he denies. “I take Gurdeep Kaur’s concerns very seriously. Kaur said that Brown was at her house but would not comment on what was said.īrown said he is a long-time personal friend of Kaur and has been invited to her house many times in the past. Torstar is not able to independently confirm the allegation in the letter, which went to the city’s HR director, whose lawyer then passed it to the city clerk.
A MESS O TROUBLE PRO
Kaur denied any knowledge of the letter when it first surfaced earlier this week.Īmong the letter’s allegations is a claim the mayor came to Kaur’s house with a quid pro quo: If Kaur dropped her complaints, she would be offered her job back.īrown denies asking Kaur to withdraw her complaint, but would not reply when asked if he discussed a city job with her on April 25. It purports to have been written by an assistant to Kaur, although it is written in the first person as Kaur herself.
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Those councillors said the mayor was not authorized to communicate with Kaur.īrown’s alleged visit is detailed in the unsigned letter that landed in a city official’s inbox Tuesday morning. The timing of Brown’s alleged visit raises questions as it came 10 days before a confidential May 5 council vote ordering city staff to rehire Kaur and place her in another department, according to two Brampton councillors who spoke on the condition they not be named because they were not authorized to discuss closed-door matters. Anything further you should direct to her.” “Her reason for reaching out to me was to ensure whistleblower protection which I fully support and advocate for. Kaur other than to say I take her complaints. When asked about his alleged meeting with Kaur on April 25, Brown said in a text message, “I don’t feel comfortable sharing any private conversations with Mrs. She said elected officials are required to stay out of human resources issues. And quite frankly, I think it puts the municipality at risk,” said Elaine Moore, a former Brampton councillor who served the city for 18 years and was part of Brown’s 2018 mayoral campaign. “That is way outside the scope of his responsibilities. One city councillor who asked not to be named described the recent situation in Brampton as a “mess from top to bottom” that is consuming the municipality’s attention while serious issues, including the pandemic, need to be addressed.Ī former Brampton councillor and a municipal government expert say Brown’s alleged visit to Kaur raises concerns that he violated city policy. The cascade of bad news out of Brampton City Hall - where three senior positions are now held by officials who had been involved in a separate municipal scandal that recently ensnared Niagara - has left observers warning there could be lasting impacts. The unsigned letter that surfaced this week is the latest development in a flurry of allegations and recriminations that are consuming the city hall of Ontario’s fourth-largest city. The next day, city council voted to forward her allegations to Peel Regional Police and the provincial ombudsman, as well as to hire a third-party investigator. Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown’s judgment is being questioned after a scathing letter circulating at city hall alleges that he visited the home of a former employee after she accused top officials in his administration of corruption.īrown allegedly visited the home three days after the city fired Gurdeep “Nikki” Kaur, Brampton’s director of corporate projects, who on April 22 accused senior city staff of mishandling public funds, manipulating hiring processes, racism and harassment.