Windsor election records under police investigation
The City of Windsor is under police investigation after a provincial court ordered the city to hand over records from last year's municipal election.
Superior Court Justice Renee Pomerance ordered the city to surrender all documents related to the Oct. 2014 election, including election ballots.
The ballots were set to be destroyed last Thursday as per the Ontario Municipal Elections Act, which stipulates the documents must be destroyed 120 days after the election.
The court order put a stop to that, ordering the city to hand the documents over to the police.
Justice Pomeramce ordered all other documents related to the investigation to be sealed.
City in the dark
Windsor's Chief Administrative Officer said the city is unaware of any formal complaints that prompted the court order, but said the city will fully cooperate with the investigation.
"I really don't have a basis for it. That is information that has not been shared," said Helga Reidel.
"We've conducted many successful elections here at the City of Windsor and the residents for the most part understand the election process. As always at the end of the process there are people with questions, maybe people with concerns," she said. "This situation is a little out of the ordinary, but we'll work through the process as we do with any other process."
Windsor Police would not comment on the investigation.
Former Windsor Councillor Al Maghnieh, who unsuccessfully ran in the 2014 election for Ward 10, took to Twitter saying the documents should be unsealed, calling the information a matter of public interest of "epic proportions."
Police involvement 'unusual'
University of Windsor Political Science Professor Lydia Miljan said it's unusual for the police to get involved, but added that just because they are does not mean any wrong doing has happened.
"All it says is somebody filed an official complaint with the City of Windsor police department and that they are doing their due diligence," she said.
