Magliocca says expense scandal taking ‘huge toll’
Saying the controversy over his expenses has “taken a huge toll” on his “personal life,” Coun. Joe Magliocca on Monday called for tougher scrutiny and rules on such spending.
The Ward 2 councillor has been absent during recent council meetings, after outrage erupted over expense claims he submitted for last year’s Federation of Canadian Municipalities convention in Quebec City. Those expenses were two to three times higher than those of his council colleagues and 10 of the people Magliocca listed on his receipts have since declared they didn’t dine with him.
In a statement Monday, Magliocca expressed support for a motion co-authored by Coun. Jyoti Gondek calling for a closer look at expenses he filed since he was elected in 2017.
“I fully support another look into my expenses to ensure they are in line with council policy and with a view to restoring confidence in this process,” he wrote.
Magliocca said he’s now posted all of his expenses since October 2017, adding: “I ask that the mayor and all councillors follow my lead in transparency and responsibility and publicly post detailed receipts of all expenditures including their staff and travel expenses.”
A list of Magliocca’s itemized receipts for 2017 and 2018 was available on his council office website on Monday.
But as of deadline later in the day, a link to those records had been removed.
After Postmedia obtained records of Magliocca’s expensed “hosting costs” at the 2019 Quebec City conference — of which he later repaid $2,100 — 10 people told Postmedia or confirmed through spokespeople that despite being listed on the councillor’s receipts, they did not dine with him during the conference.
On Monday, Magliocca said he’s reviewed his expenses since 2017 and repaid alcohol costs on all of them.
Records posted online showed Magliocca repaid just over $1,800 to the city for expenses incurred in 2018 which involved alcohol, as well as the “social lunch” he shared with integrity commissioner Sal Lovecchio in the summer of 2019.
The councillor paid for and expensed that $163 meal to his ward budget. Earlier this month, Lovecchio recused himself from an investigation into Magliocca’s expenses, citing the August 2019 lunch with the councillor.
The itemized receipt records Magliocca posted include “hosting” costs from FCM business which were charged to his ward budget.
But it’s unclear from the receipts whom or how many people were hosted by Magliocca on a number of occasions.
For example, an expense report filed by Magliocca to the city cited $392 in FCM hosting costs on March 8, 2018. Under the form heading “guest name(s), company & purpose,” Magliocca wrote “various attendees (no names this time).”
His receipts detailed numerous alcohol charges during various meetings, including more than $75 spent on martinis at the Sheraton hotel in Laval, Quebec on March 7, 2018.
Another hotel restaurant receipt from two days prior showed four Grey Goose vodka drinks were ordered, along with grilled chicken, totalling around $60.
“FCM Hosting Charged to Ward 2” was handwritten on each of the receipts, which did not disclose the names of people Magliocca had been hosting.
Detailed receipts for a number of expenses disclosed publicly by Magliocca were not available and instead listed on city forms as “lost” by the councillor.
Magliocca previously apologized and said he repaid receipts totalling about $2,100 for “hosting costs” to cover meals and drinks for himself, councillors and other city officials at the 2019 FCM conference.
In his latest statement, Magliocca requested from Ward 2 residents their “understanding during this very difficult time.”
“This has been a very embarrassing mistake that I have made. I promise to learn from this mistake and move forward in a very positive way,” he said.
Shortly after releasing his statement, city council unanimously voted to approve an investigation into Magliocca’s expenses.
Magliocca recused himself from the 14-0 vote, saying that participating in the discussion could put him in a conflict.