While former city councillor Giorgio Mammoliti “was able to exert a high level of influence” on a project involving a possible land sale costing the city millions of dollars, a city watchdog’s investigation did not find evidence he contravened council rules.

Now Mammoliti is demanding an apology from both the integrity commissioner and city council, as well as for the city to fully reimburse his legal costs.

In a 68-page report to council considered Wednesday, integrity commissioner Valerie Jepson detailed her investigation into a cancelled land deal in North York involving the Toronto Parking Authority and a “monumental flagpole” project that was pushed by Mammoliti and the Emery Village Business Improvement Area in his former ward.

The integrity commissioner didn’t find that any rules had been broken by Mammoliti, the city BIA or parking authority board members. Jepson did describe having “greater skepticism” about Mammoliti’s actions due to his refusal to be interviewed as part of her inquiry.

Mammoliti, in a letter from his lawyer to council, maintains that throughout the land deal negotiations he was “merely advancing an issue on behalf of his constituents and in doing always acted on the direction of City Council.” He referred a reporter to that letter when asked for comment Wednesday.

The potential for the sale of a private landowner’s five-acre property at Finch Ave. and Arrow Rd. near Hwy. 400 to the city’s Toronto Parking Authority has been under investigation by various entities since 2016.

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In 2017, Toronto’s auditor general Beverly Romeo-Beehler concluded that the parking authority was about to overpay for the land by $2.63 million in a deal that resulted from a “hairball” of relationships. It came to no conclusions about Mammoliti’s conduct.

The city also hired law firm Torys LLP to investigate the deal, which led to the firing last year of two parking authority executives.

For the current report, the integrity commissioner was asked by council and the parking authority to examine any potential wrongdoing on the part of the parking authority’s board.

In her report, Jepson recommended council consider amending the rules to clarify the roles of councillors who also sit on local boards and that councillors be required to participate in integrity investigations.

Council voted Wednesday to ask staff to report back on possible amendments to council’s code of conduct.

After being summoned by the integrity commissioner for an interview after several unsuccessful attempts to secure his participation, Jepson wrote, Mammoliti’s attendance at a planned interview was “somewhat unusual.”

Mammoliti, she said, insisted on videotaping the meeting on a cellphone and proceeded to read a statement while refusing to allow the integrity commissioner to interject or answer questions.

In his statement, produced in writing along with his lawyer’s letter to council, Mammoliti said he didn’t have legal counsel and didn’t want to continue speaking with the integrity commissioner without it.

“Ms. Jepson, it's my view that you are a bully and I hope that the Ombudsman finds this out soon and if not the Ombudsman then the Ontario Justice system,” Mammoliti’s statement concludes.

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“From the outset of the investigation, Mr. Mammoliti was concerned that the Integrity Commissioner held a personal animus toward him and that he would be treated unfairly by her office,” a letter from his lawyer Gavin Tighe further details. “As reflected in the Report, Mr. Mammoliti’s concern appears to have been well-founded.”

Jepson said she had no comment Wednesday when asked to respond to statements made by Mammoliti about her.

As per city policy, Mammoliti’s letter said he has already been paid $20,000 by the city for his legal fees. But Mammoliti says his legal fees are more than $11,000 in excess of that. His lawyer’s letter asks the city also pay those costs.