Toronto mayoral candidate Rob Ford arrives at a Mississauga banquet hall on Sept. 19, 2010.Tim Fraser
Less than two weeks out from election day, the Rob Ford campaign had raised $690,000 - just over half the $1.3-million spending limit for mayoral candidates.
The donations, in amounts as small as $5, come from more than 2,000 donors as of Oct. 12. Since then, says campaign spokeswoman Adrienne Batra, the campaign has been receiving between $15,000 and $20,000 daily.
There are a few notable names - former Metro Toronto councillor Tony O'Donohue donated $250; former city councillor Chris Korwin-Kuczynski donated $200; DTZ Barnicke vice-president Andrew Barnicke gave $300; a handful of councillors and councillor hopefuls, including Michael Feldman and Gus Cusimano made contributions of their own. Andrew Pask, Mr. Ford's former executive assistant, donated $250 - the same amount he donated to Joe Pantalone's campaign.
George Smitherman's older brother Arthur Smitherman, who came out in favour of his brother's political nemesis several months ago, donated $120 (several Pantalones were listed as donors, as well; it wasn't immediately clear whether they're related to the mayoral candidate).
Among the thousands of donors on Mr. Ford's campaign list is Underhill Landscaping, which is recorded as having donated $250.
The way it's recorded would make it a corporate donation, which the city ruled inadmissible earlier this year. Ms. Batra said the campaign is well aware of the new rule, and said the inclusion of Underhill's donation is likely a mistake. It's possible the donation was rejected but recorded anyway, she said.
"I think that's the only one that's in there - that's what makes me think it's a mistake. Because we can't accept corporate donations it would have been rejected. ...My understanding is that it would have been recorded but rejected because it was a corporate donation.
"It could have been the guy sent the cheque they put the company instead of his name. That's entirely possible."
With a report from Kelly Grant