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A spending scandal has erupted among members of the Pan Am executive committee. Documents show games officials some of whom make almost $500,000 a year, have claimed hundreds of thousands in expenses.
Elise Copps has the details on a scandal which has outraged a lot people.
The Pan Am games are funded almost completely by taxpayer money. And top executives in charge of the event make between $230,000 to $480,000 a year. Documents show expense claims for everything from laundry service to Starbucks tea. And that’s on top of their already substantial salaries.
When Toronto won the bid for the 2015 Pan Am games back in 2009, no one expected a spending controversy coming from the committee officials.
Heated debate erupted at Queen’s Park over details of shocking expense claims by top executives of the Pan Am organizing committee.
PC Leader Tim Hudak questioned the Premier about her knowledge of the situation: “Let me ask you this Premier. When did you become aware of this abuse of taxpayer money at the Pan Am games?”
The Toronto Sun obtained records through the Freedom of Information Act showing extensive claims by CEO Ian Troop and his team.
Troop makes $477,000 a year. He claimed over $100,000 in business and travel expenses on top of that.
Premier Kathleen Wynne says the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport directed the board to review its expense claim policies three weeks ago, and tighten them up: “I agree with the leader of the opposition that there are expenses within that report that are unacceptable.” It’s unacceptable that public dollars are spending that way Mr. Speaker and my hope is that the other two levels of government, both the city and the federal government will take the same action Mr. Speaker.”
Other claims included $27,000 by Vice-President of Operations, Allen Vansen, to move house from Vancouver to Toronto. And $400 by Vice-President of Community and Cultural Affairs, Louise Lutgens, to cancel her cell phone plan.
One of the smallest is causing a big stir. Troop submitted a 91 cent claim for a parking fee he incurred during an interview at the Hamilton Spectator. The Pan Am Toronto 2015 team released a statement responding to the criticism. They say they take the responsibility of spending taxpayer money very seriously and are reviewing their policies at the request of the province. They noted, however, that all expenses in the report fall within their current spending rules.
The funding for the games is split between the feds, the municipalities and the province. Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has asked for an audit for these expense claims, and Hudak says that he wants all claims deemed unacceptable to be repaid.
