• Ford improperly had a family holding company, Doug Ford Holdings Inc., fund his campaign to the tune of $77,722.31. Election rules state candidates and their spouses can fund a campaign with their own cash, collect donations from individuals, and borrow money from a “bank or recognized lending institution.â€
• Ford’s campaign improperly categorized direct mailing and telephone canvassing expenses as those related to “holding a fundraising functionâ€, wrongly excluding them from the overall fundraising limit. If categorized as salaries, he would have overspent his limit by $69,642.42, they say.
• If the holding company funding amounts to a loan with more favourable terms than others would get, it may constitute a corporate donation, which is prohibited by Toronto’s elections bylaw.