Despite revelations of an ‘inappropriate’ relationship, councillor retains supporters

Adam Giambrone will stay in the mayor’s race, according to his campaign manager, despite having admitted to an “inappropriate” relationship with a 19-year-old university student.

“We’ve had a story on a candidate and as the public expects the candidate has stepped forward,” said campaign manager John Laschinger in an interview. “People want their politicians to be accountable, straightforward and acknowledge when they make a mistake. I’m proud of what he did. It’s painful, but now you move on.”

Giambrone, who represents Ward 18 Davenport on Toronto Council and chairs the Toronto Transit Commission, was incommunicado Tuesday, Feb. 9, after a Toronto Star story published his statement – and the story of Kristen Lucas, the now 20-year-old university student claiming the 32-year-old councillor carried on an affair with her.

According to the Star article, Lucas produced text messages from the affair, which she said began in late 2008.

Lucas said the two had sex on the couch in his office during the affair, and he tipped her off to the pending TTC fare hike before it became public.

In a Dec. 27 text message, the newspaper reports Giambrone told her his live-in partner Sarah McQuarrie was at his side to help him politically.

“You know I will be announcing I have a partner,” he wrote. “It is someone named Sarah, who I’ve been involved with in the past. It is important for the campaign.”

In a statement released to the Star, Giambrone admitted to an “inappropriate relationship with a young woman.”

He called it “a serious lapse in judgement.” And he offered “my deepest apology to my partner, Sarah, my family and friends for the pain and embarrassment my indiscretion will cause them.”

He did not admit to having sex with Lucas and according to the article he claimed she had sent a threatening email to him, saying she’d track down his girlfriend and tell her about the affair.

In the article, Lucas said she hadn’t sent the email and pointed out her name was spelled incorrectly.

Giambrone’s seat was empty Tuesday morning at the monthly meeting of Toronto and East York Community Council.

Laschinger said he spent the day at home, calling friends, family and supporters to “understand their feelings, input and reactions.”

He said Giambrone has been receiving significant support.

“I’ve sent an email to our entire list of people, supporters,” said Laschinger. “I’m now getting emails back. They’re saying ‘we’re with Adam. This is not going to stop me from supporting Adam.’ He’s getting emails from friends and colleagues… he’s getting a lot of encouragement.”

At community council Tuesday, many of his colleagues were reluctant to speak about the matter.

“I have no comment on the matter because we do not know what is to be known, so how could anybody comment?” said Joe Pantalone, who is also running for mayor in the 2010 race. “For anybody to jump to conclusions would be a terrible mistake.”

Adam Vaughan, Janet Davis and Joe Mihevc all refused to speak outright, as did Mayor David Miller when approached by reporters outside City Hall.

Others, however, could not resist.

When asked about the revelation, Toronto Centre-Rosedale Councillor Kyle Rae quipped: “I don’t have a couch.”

Toronto Danforth councillor Paula Fletcher was more circumspect.

“I think everybody makes mistakes. Some mistakes are much bigger than others,” she said. “Public trust is a very important thing.”

Beaches-East York Councillor Sandra Bussin came to Giambrone’s defence and said the story was “junk.”

“It’s junk, you can’t even call it journalism,” she said. “I really feel very badly for his girlfriend and I think that this has nothing to do with running for mayor. Shame on that tabloid… I was appalled that that would hit the front page.”

Giambrone launched his mayoralty campaign just a week before the story broke, at a packed nightclub on College Street, becoming the fifth major mayoralty candidate to announce, after Rocco Rossi, George Smitherman, Giorgio Mammoliti, Joe Pantalone and Sarah Thomson.

– David Nickle

Posted in Mayoral race, News