Doug Ford dismissed allegations Thursday that he was involved in selling bogus Progressive Conservative party memberships as a desperate attempt by the governing Liberals to distract from their own record.
Ford, who was in Tillsonburg, said the allegations, which date back to 2016, were brought to the party at the time and dealt with.
"It went through an appeals process," he said. "The appeal was totally dismissed. This is the Liberals two weeks before an election trying to change the channel on their mismanagement, scandal and waste."
The Liberals alleged that Ford tried to sign up people to vote for Kinga Surma, a former staffer in his late brother Rob Ford's administration at Toronto City Hall, who was running for a Tory nomination, but told them they don't have to pay.
The Liberals also provided an affidavit from the woman running against Surma for the Etobicoke-Centre nomination, saying she encountered several people who were on the party membership list but said they had not signed any forms or paid any fees.
They had, however, been approached or called by Ford inviting them to the nomination meeting, according to the affidavit.
The allegations from the would-be candidate, Pina Martino, who served as an interim chief of staff for former Tory Leader Patrick Brown, were sent to the party in 2016.
The Liberals said the audio they played at a news conference Thursday is from a man who saw Ford at a Tim Hortons in 2016 and pressed record on his phone.
"It doesn't cost you anything," Ford is heard saying to a person he and Surma, who eventually won the nomination, were trying to sign up to vote for her.
Ford did not deny the authenticity of the recording, nor that he told potential members they wouldn't have to pay if they signed up to vote for Surma, but he said he did not pay for anyone else's membership.
Memberships to the Progressive Conservative party cost $10 for one year and must be paid by the individuals who sign up.
Liberal campaign co-chair Deb Matthews said paying for someone else's membership could violate election laws against making secret donations and possibly put someone over the donation cap.
