Galati resigns from Action Laval amid spending scandal

A Laval city councillor is facing allegations of improper use of public funds.

According to reports, Paolo Galati, from the opposition party Action Laval, used thousands of dollars in taxpayer money to purchase Apple products, furniture, a coffee machine and snacks for his home office.

In Galati's district of St-Vincent-de-Paul, voters are not happy with the revelation.

One resident said that it is a story he is used to hearing: officials without oversight doing whatever they want.

Laval Mayor Stephane Boyer is demanding Galati pay back the money, saying in a statement, "In my opinion, this is a lack of judgment on the part of the opposition councillor."

"As elected representatives, yes, we have budgets to help us in our duties. What is criticized here is the size of the amounts, the luxury of the objects and the fact that we can seriously question whether they are really used for the councillor's duties."

Galati maintains the spending was within the rules but resigned on Thursday morning from the Action Laval caucus pending the outcome of an investigation by Quebec's municipal oversight commission, the CMQ.

"I will await the results of the investigation and take a position on any recommendations that come out of it," Galati said in a statement.

In Quebec City, Municipal Affairs Minister Andrée Laforest said the scope of the CMQ's probe has been expanded to cover the entire Action Laval party, which now has four councillors left.

The party's interim leader, Achille Cifelli, said he welcomed the investigation and noted that everything was done by the book.

"We, the elected officials, are responsible for our research and support budget. Before we are allowed to submit an expense, we have an accountant that verifies them. We give them to Laval finances and they either approve them or they don't."

Cifelli said the Laval finance department approved all of the expenses in question, adding all electronics have to be returned to the city at the end of the mandate.

On Thursday evening, Galati also announced that he would not seek re-election in the upcoming Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board elections. He also requested that his expenses be reviewed once again by Laval's financial department.

"Once they have pronounced on the matter, I will act accordingly," he said.