TORONTO — On the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack in 2012, an Ontario Liberal candidate suggested the attack that killed thousands was an inside job.

“911, was it really a terrorist attack or another conspiracy for cover up? As soon as it happened back in 2001, I thought: ‘how can the US Defense be so weak? I thought the US had LET it happen so they can declare war,” Amanda Yeung Collucci wrote on Facebook on Sept. 11, 2012.

The Markham city councillor is running for the Liberals in the June provincial election. Although, the Toronto Star reports Collucci is shirking her party affiliation in campaign signs.

She’s now apologizing for the comment.

Her Facebook post links to a YouTube video that has been taken down. She wrote “after watching this video, it really make me think: “what is the real story behind 911?”

The comments echo conspiracy theories that still abound about the attacks that left nearly 3,000 dead in New York, Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon. The attacks were carried out by al-Qaida.

Despite attempts to debunk them, conspiracy theories about the terrorist attacks persist 17 years on. In 2009, then president Barack Obama tried to tamp them out.

“I am aware that some question or justify the events of 9/11. But let us be clear: al Qaida killed nearly 3,000 people on that day. The victims were innocent men, women and children from America and many other nations who had done nothing to harm anybody,” Obama said in a speech.

“These are not opinions to be debated; these are facts to be dealt with.”

In 2015, the year after Collucci was elected to council she made very different comments on the anniversary of 9/11. “Remembering 911 for all the lives were lost,” she wrote.

In an emailed statement, Collucci said the comments were “obviously a mistake, because they could easily be misconstrued, for which I am sorry.”

“They are not representative of my views and I apologize to anyone who might have been offended.”

She did not explain how her comments on the 9/11 terror attacks could be misunderstood, and did not reply to follow-up questions.

The post is still on her Facebook page.

This week the Liberals have called for the resignation of four candidates on the Progressive Conservative and NDP rosters because of past offensive comments. But the campaign is backing Collucci, calling her a “respected local Councillor.”

“She has apologized for her posts. I have no doubt she will be anything other than a great representative for the people of Markham at Queen’s Park,” Campaign Co-chair Deb Matthews said in an emailed statement.

Collucci’s cleaning company used fake pictures for testimonials

While she was still running her Clean4Me cleaning company, its website attributed client testimonials to fake pictures.



For example the picture associated with “Bill & Margaret” in Markham who gave Clean4Me a shoutout for “Outstanding Service!” is also the picture used by BridgeForce to market BMO insurance.

Another testimonial from “Mary” in Richmond Hill compliments their “dependable service.” Mary’s picture is also used in a Forbes article that sources it to Thinkstock.

A Liberal campaign official says “stock photos were used throughout the site out of respect for customer’s privacy but the testimonials are from customers of the business.”

Follow @MariekeWalsh