Ontario votes: Opposition pounces on Ford over suit alleging ex-staffers involved in rezoning scheme [Video]

Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie appears at a campaign event in Scarborough, Ont., on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Opposition leaders accused Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford on Thursday of being partially responsible for the behaviour of two former staffers alleged to have used their contacts in a real-estate rezoning scheme.

Oakville, Ont., property owner Amanpreet Jakhar and two numbered companies have filed a $2.2-million lawsuit against former government staffers Ryan Amato and Shiv Raj, as well as developer Frontier Group.

Jakhar is suing for negligence, breach of contract, fraudulent misrepresentation and other alleged offences. Jakhar and the companies say they wanted to have three properties rezoned so they could be developed. They allege Amato, Raj and the Frontier Group pledged to rezone those properties “using their backchannel contacts and political connections.”

Amato and Raj, through their lawyer, denied …