Ontario government aide loses job after reportedly donating $100 dollars to Freedom Convoy

The director of communications whose responsibility includes enforcing the law in the Ontario ministry is now out of a job after she was tied to a donation of $100 to the Freedom Convoy blocking Ottawa streets.

Marion Isabeau-Ringuette is just one of the several government officials and associates who are under scrutiny related to donations for the convoy.

Recently, names and other identifying information was released in a pair of leaks of over 100,000 donations to the American crowdfunding website GiveSendGo.

“For the communications director to be financially supporting an unlawful, illegal occupation is definitely concerning,” said NDP MPP Catherine Fife. “Who was donating, why were they donating, and did this contribute to the non-action that happened on the ground in Ottawa?” she continued. 

Spokesperson Ivana Yelich for Ontario Premier Doug Ford did not give extensive details in the short statement to reporters. “Ms. Isabeau-Ringuette no longer works for the Ontario government,” said Yelich. “We are not commenting any further as this is a staffing matter.”

Isabeau-Ringuette had previously worked as a political staffer up until Sunday at the latest for Ontario’s Solicitor-General, a position that requires the oversight of police and other law enforcement in Ontario. 

The donation of $100 was listed as anonymous on the crowdfunding platform GiveSendGo, but once documents were leaked, a pair of files totaling almost 100,000 donations showed that one line read “M.R.” It also included an email address that contained Isabeau-Ringuette’s name.

The data from the leak also showed the name of an employee of the federal correctional service as well as the name of another Ontario government employee, who only said “No comment” when contacted for a statement by CTV News Toronto.