TORONTO, July 15, 2026 /CNW/ – A demand has been made for the City of Brampton to expunge an Integrity Commissioner’s Report following confirmation of a recantation by the complainant. Initially released in 2020, the Report addressed allegations made by a former complainant involving then Council Member Gurpreet Dhillon. However, the allegations were subsequently withdrawn. Since then the City has refused to remove the Report from its website for various reasons, most recently as concerns about the veracity of the withdrawal were raised. “It may not have been clear at the time, but the withdrawal letter was provided by the complainant’s legal counsel. We have now communicated with them. They have confirmed the process required by the Law Society was followed, specifically including the lawyer verifying the identity of their client. There is then no rational basis for anyone to doubt the veracity of the withdrawal given its source and this confirmation” said Eric Gillespie, legal counsel for Gurpreet Dhillon. Brampton’s current Integrity Commissioner also recently attempted to investigate the matter without Council authorization. The same Integrity Commissioner also previously launched legal proceedings against numerous former and current City Councillors including Mr. Dhillon. As a result, she was advised she is in a conflict of interest and should not participate in matters involving these individuals. “We do not understand why the current Integrity Commissioner continues to try to pursue matters involving Mr. Dhillon and the current Council continues to allow this”, said Gillespie. The City also continues to publish the Report. “The City is under no statutory duty to publish misleading and/or false information and should not be making this claim. The Supreme Court of Canada has been clear, even if the City is not the author it can be held liable for republishing information it now knows is untrue.” As a result, the City has been advised to remove the Report or face substantial claims against it. “Our client sincerely hopes that given the confirmation of identity this will not be necessary but will proceed to ensure the City properly complies with its legal obligations” Gillespie said.
SOURCE Eric K. Gillespie Professional Corporation