A request from Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s office to publish a pre-election opinion piece across Postmedia newspapers has become entangled with a government contracting dispute after former Postmedia CEO Paul Godfrey alleged that approval of a proposed three-year agreement for his son’s company was used as leverage to secure the media placement.
The allegation concerns events in January 2025 but only became public this week, after Godfrey’s son Rob Godfrey provided a sworn declaration to The Trillium, which first reported the story. The declaration had previously been provided to the Ontario Provincial Police, according to the publication.
Godfrey alleges that on January 22, 2025, Rob Godfrey told him that Patrick Sackville, then Ford’s chief of staff, was prepared to approve Keel Digital Solutions’ proposal for a new three-year agreement with the Ministry of Colleges and Universities.
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According to Godfrey’s declaration, the message came with another request: Ford wanted Postmedia newspapers across Ontario to publish a letter explaining his case for calling an early provincial election.
Godfrey said he interpreted the situation as the use of “political leverage and power over a small company.”
He then alleges that he contacted Postmedia president and CEO Andrew MacLeod and National Post editor-in-chief Rob Roberts on January 24, and that both agreed Ford’s letter would appear in Postmedia’s Ontario newspapers.
A Ford op-ed arguing for a renewed mandate amid threatened US tariffs was subsequently published by the National Post on January 28, one day before Ontario’s election campaign formally began. Contemporary reporting confirms Ford had announced days earlier that he intended to trigger an early election.
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Postmedia does not dispute that Ford’s office sought publication of an opinion piece. The company told The Trillium that political offices routinely approach its publications about op-eds and that the premier’s office contacted its CEO about publishing Ford’s rationale for an early election. The request was then passed to the editorial operation for consideration.
The media outfit said it had no knowledge of the alleged circumstances involving Keel and added that “No commercial consideration would ever be required.”
It also noted that Paul Godfrey no longer had any affiliation with Postmedia during the 2025 provincial election.
Meanwhile, Ford’s office rejected the broader allegation according to the outlet, describing Godfrey’s account as “categorically untrue and completely disconnected from reality.” Sackville did not provide The Trillium with a response to the allegations.
Godfrey further alleged that after Ford won the February 27 election, the premier told him during a telephone conversation that Postmedia’s early help had contributed to the victory.
Keel
The declaration surfaced immediately after Keel Digital entered receivership. Ontario Superior Court Justice Jane Dietrich granted National Bank’s receivership request on October 5, placing Keel and related entities under the control of BDO Canada Limited.
Keel and its executives did not oppose the application or contest the bank’s assertion that more than $4.5 million could not be repaid, according to The Trillium.
This gives the newly appointed receiver control over Keel’s assets and leaves BDO to determine how to handle litigation involving the company.
Ontario sued Keel, its subsidiary Get A-Head, and several executives in January, seeking $25.9 million. The province alleges that Get A-Head misrepresented use of its mental health platform and caused the government to overpay for services.
Keel and its executives responded with counterclaims seeking more than $100 million collectively, including damages they allege resulted from the government’s actions.
None of the competing fraud, contractual, or damages claims has been decided at trial.
The company was already under an OPP investigation after Ontario referred findings from a forensic audit of government payments to police in late 2025. The OPP’s Anti-Rackets Branch subsequently opened a formal investigation.
