FACT CHECK: Has Doug Downey really never met a lobbyist? They signed up to talk to him

QUEEN’S PARK — On Thursday, Doug Downey claimed he has never met with lobbyists from the long-term care industry. But throughout the summer, lobbyists were signing up to talk directly to Downey.

Lobbyists are legally required to indicate who they plan to lobby – and in May, June and July, lobbyists in long-term care made it clear they were planning to talk to the Attorney General.

• On June 1, Brayden Akers, former director of communications to Greg Rickford, registered to lobby Downey on behalf of Sienna Senior Living Inc. Sienna is the subject of multiple class action lawsuits.
• Lauren McDonald, Doug Ford’s former director of marketing, registered May 7 to lobby Downey on behalf of Revera. Revera is the subject of multiple class action lawsuits.
• On July 14, former Conservative MP Stella Ambler registered to lobby Downey on behalf of Southbridge Care Homes. Southbridge is the subject of multiple class action lawsuits.

Michael Wilson also registered to lobby the Ford Government on behalf of the for-profit long-term care chain Revera in May 2020. Until January of this year, Wilson was Downey’s Chief of Staff and Downey called him “really my go-to.”

“The records are clear. For-profit long-term care giants were hiring Downey and Ford insiders to lobby Downey and Ford,” said NDP Attorney General critic Gurratan Singh. “And Ford and Downey are giving lobbyists and long-term care giants exactly what they want — shielding them from legal responsibility by stripping away the rights of grieving, devastated families.”