Ontario MPP under new scrutiny over alleged election ad violations in Brampton

A Brampton Progressive Conservative MPP already under scrutiny over hotel expenses and taxpayer-funded advertising is now facing a new complaint alleging election finance violations tied to his 2022 provincial campaign.

Brampton East MPP Hardeep Grewal is the subject of a complaint filed with Elections Ontario by the Ontario NDP, which alleges his 2022 election campaign failed to declare advertising that appeared in the Punjabi Post, a Peel Region newspaper owned by Grewal’s father, Jagdish Grewal.

According to Global News, which first reported the latest complaint on Thursday, the NDP alleges campaign advertisements ran in the newspaper throughout the 2022 election period without being reported as campaign expenses. The complaint also alleges some advertisements appeared during the election advertising blackout period, when new political advertising is prohibited under Ontario’s election rules.

Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles has asked Elections Ontario to investigate whether the advertisements amounted to an undeclared contribution to Grewal’s campaign.

In a statement provided to Global News, Grewal acknowledged the advertisements were not initially paid for but said the issue has since been corrected.

“The 2022 advertisements were billed by the Punjabi Post to the campaign and were inadvertently not paid,” Grewal said, according to Global News.

“They have since been paid and I have reached out to Elections Ontario for further direction to rectify this situation.”

Grewal also said his campaign did not authorize advertisements to run during the blackout period and expected media outlets to comply with election advertising rules.

The complaint marks the latest challenge for the Brampton East MPP, who has faced mounting scrutiny in recent weeks over his expense claims.

Earlier this week, the Ontario NDP asked Ontario’s Integrity Commissioner to investigate Grewal after it was revealed his constituency office used public funds to purchase advertisements in the Punjabi Post, a publication owned and operated by his father.

Those advertisements included promotions for constituency events, including a summer barbecue.

At the time, Grewal acknowledged he should have sought guidance before advertising in the family-owned publication.

“The Punjabi Post is a popular ethnic news outlet in Brampton—a community with a large Punjabi-speaking population. Political parties of all stripes have advertised with the Punjabi Post,” Grewal said in a statement released earlier this week.

“Prior to advertising, I should have consulted with the Integrity Commissioner and have since reached out to her office for advice.”

The Integrity Commissioner’s office has confirmed it received the complaint but has not indicated whether a formal investigation will proceed, according to Global News.

The election finance complaint comes as Grewal also remains embroiled in controversy over nearly $27,000 in taxpayer-funded hotel expenses claimed between 2023 and 2026, despite representing a riding roughly 43 kilometres from Queen’s Park.

Premier Doug Ford has publicly called the hotel spending “unacceptable” and said affected MPPs would repay the money.

While former cabinet minister Stan Cho resigned after his own hotel expense controversy, Grewal has remained in caucus and continues to serve as Parliamentary Assistant to Transportation Minister and Brampton South MPP Prabmeet Sarkaria.

It remains unclear whether Grewal has repaid the hotel expenses.

The latest Elections Ontario complaint is separate from the Integrity Commissioner complaint and focuses specifically on alleged campaign finance reporting during the 2022 provincial election. Elections Ontario has not publicly indicated whether it has opened a formal investigation.