The deputy OPP commissioner who blew the whistle on Premier Doug Ford’s push for a customized van has been fired, fuelling controversy over the hiring of Ford friend Ron Taverner as head of the provincial police force.

Brad Blair was terminated Monday with the Progressive Conservative government denying any political role in the decision as an independent ethics investigation continues into political interference in Taverner’s appointment, on hold pending results of the probe.

The dramatic dismissal also follows a complaint last week from the Ontario Provincial Police union about the release of an internal police email — contained in a Blair court filing on his bid to scupper Taverner’s hiring — on the premier’s profane tirade about unfamiliar faces on his security detail.

Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones said the decision to fire Blair over the release of “confidential private information for his own personal gain” was made by her deputy minister Mario Di Tommaso and approved by the provincial public service commission.

“Did I initiate any kind of request? No,” she told a hastily arranged news conference. “I was not asked for permission. I was not asked for advice.”

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath insisted Blair’s ouster has strong political overtones.

“Let’s not forget Mr. Di Tommaso was on the hiring process (for Taverner) as well and has a relationship with the Fords and with Mr. Taverner,” she told reporters, a reference to Di Tommaso’s former role as Taverner’s boss at Toronto police.

“This is yet another example of Mr. Ford just taking out his revenge on people who stand up to him,” she added. “This thing reeks and every day the stench gets stronger.”

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The path to the firing began taking shape last week.

OPP Association president Rob Jamieson wrote Di Tommaso on Thursday criticizing Blair for releasing an internal email from Ford bodyguard Sgt. Terry Murphy. It flagged to superiors that Ford was using the f-word to complain about his rotating protection detail. Jamieson said the officer has since been unfairly removed from that duty.

“We can only assume that this action is the direct result of his name being mentioned in multiple media reports surrounding the filing of documents with the court,” states the letter of complaint from Jamieson, demanding Murphy be reinstated because he did “nothing wrong.”

Last Friday, Di Tommaso wrote Jones recommending that Blair be fired as “the only acceptable recourse” and noted the OPP veteran had been warned in late December about releasing any more internal police information in violation of civil service oath of secrecy.

Blair’s court case with lawyer Julian Falconer is aimed at forcing Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dube to investigate the Taverner hiring, saying it puts the OPP’s independence at risk. Ford has accused Blair of “sour grapes” after being passed over for the top OPP job and accused him of breaking the Police Services Act by releasing confidential information.

Falconer did not reply to a request for comment.

An employment lawyer not connected to the case told the Star that Blair faced a “higher threshold” of confidentiality in his senior police position but it’s an “open question” whether the information released as part of his court case is enough to justify termination for cause.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a slam dunk one way or the other,” said Joseph Cohen-Lyons. “The government is positioning itself to justify its position.”

Liberal MPP Nathalie Des Rosiers called on the government to force Di Tommaso to testify before the legislature’s justice committee on Thursday to ask questions like “did he speak to the premier’s office?”

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She said the Blair firing “complicates” the investigation by independent provincial integrity commissioner J. David Wake into the hiring of Taverner, 72, a long-time Toronto police superintendent.

Taverner was appointed in November after the qualifications for the post leading Canada’s second-largest police force were lowered two days after the posting went public, making him eligible to apply.

The hiring raised concerns about the independence of the OPP given the force’s high-profile investigation of a previous Liberal government over deleted documents in the wake of the gas-plants scandal. The top aide for former premier Dalton McGuinty was criminally charged, convicted and served a jail term for his role.

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