RICHMOND HILL — A complaint to the city’s Integrity Commissioner has raised questions about Councillor Carmine DiPaola’s conduct and the role of his wife in accessing city resources.

The complaint, reportedly from city staff, alleged harassment and nepotism. It noted that DiPaola’s wife had been granted access to city offices through his access card, along with use of city technology and other resources. Integrity Commissioner Suzanne Craig, with the assistance of an independent investigator, concluded that while DiPaola’s wife was not covered by the city’s Respect in the Workplace policy, her involvement raised broader concerns.

Craig recommended the city adopt a formal nepotism policy to prevent similar conflicts. She emphasized her dual responsibility for ethics and accountability, stating that while there was no breach of the Council Code of Conduct, the situation exposed gaps in city policy.

DiPaola questioned both the relevance of the nepotism recommendation and Craig’s decision to name him in her public report. Craig defended the move, arguing that transparency requires members of council to be accountable to residents. “I can’t just pick and choose not to say things,” she told council, adding that the councillor’s relationship was central to the matter under review.

Several councillors expressed concern over the findings and pressed Craig for clarification. DiPaola warned that the report’s findings could be used for “grandstanding.” He also sought assurances that his wife’s “access to city technology” did not mean unauthorized use of his passwords. Craig clarified that while his wife did not tamper with systems, she did have access to his city email account and regularly sent messages to his staff.

Council is expected to debate the recommendations further in the coming weeks.

This news piece was compiled using a post by u/Civics-RH on reddit using Council’s YouTube feed archives.