Clients of lobbying firms closely tied to Premier Doug Ford and his nephew have received tens of millions of dollars through Ontario’s flagship Skills Development Fund (SDF), raising questions about preferential access and transparency in how public funds are awarded.
A Trillium analysis of government spending logs and lobbying records shows that clients of Rubicon Strategy — owned by Kory Teneycke, Ford’s longtime campaign manager — were awarded more than $100 million from the SDF. This is nearly three times more than the clients of the next most successful lobbying firm. Rubicon was registered to lobby for 16 organizations that received SDF grants around the time funding decisions were made, more than double that of its nearest competitor.
Other lobbying firms also saw their clients benefit. Sussex Strategy’s clients secured around $37.5 million, Upstream Strategy’s clients received roughly $31 million, Counsel Public Affairs’ clients were awarded over $27.5 million, ONpoint Strategy’s received about $21.6 million, and Atlas Strategic Advisors’ clients got about $21.5 million. These firms are all linked to individuals with past or close ties to Ford and his government.
Nico Fidani-Diker, a former executive assistant to Ford, is a principal at ONpoint. Atlas is led by Ford’s former right-hand man, Amin Massoudi, while lobbyist Cody Mallette, also with Atlas, previously worked in the premier’s office and for Labour Minister David Piccini. Upstream’s founder, Michael Diamond, is president of the Progressive Conservative Party and helped direct Ford’s leadership and election campaigns.
Lobbyists have pushed back against suggestions of undue influence. Massoudi said linking lobbying registrations directly to funding results is “inaccurate” and “misleading,” emphasizing that recipients must meet strict audit and reporting rules. He also downplayed past staff connections, calling them irrelevant to funding decisions. Counsel Public Affairs declined to comment on specific clients, while Sussex and Upstream did not respond to requests for comment.
Launched in 2021, the $2.5-billion Skills Development Fund is one of the Ford government’s flagship initiatives. But Ontario’s auditor general, Shelley Spence, raised serious concerns last week, calling the program “not fair, transparent or accountable.” Her report revealed that less than half of the recipients received high scores from civil servants evaluating proposals. She found that 64 low- and medium-ranked applications tied to lobbyists received $126 million in grants, while 39 high-ranked applications linked to lobbyists got $58 million.
Spence noted that the minister’s office, not civil servants, selected funding recipients — a process she said created “an appearance of real or potential preferential treatment.” However, she clarified that her office found no evidence regarding direct involvement by the premier’s office in selecting recipients. Piccini denied any political interference, saying, “The premier cares about every worker in the corner of this province.”
Lobbying activity linked to Ford’s nephew has also drawn attention. David DiPaul, formerly Michael Ford’s chief of staff and executive director in the premier’s office, registered as a lobbyist in 2024 and quickly landed clients that received multiple SDF grants. He defended his work, arguing that the program helps small and mid-sized businesses navigate government relations. Jonathan Kent, another former staffer to Michael Ford, also registered to lobby for clients that received over $10 million in SDF grants.
Opposition MPPs have seized on the auditor’s findings, calling the SDF a “slush fund” that rewards politically connected insiders. The Ford government maintains that the program is essential to quickly training workers to meet economic needs in a rapidly changing job market.
The auditor’s report and lobbying records have intensified scrutiny of how hundreds of millions in taxpayer funds are being distributed — and who is benefiting the most.