Mayor Gregor Robertson has filed an official legal response in the British Columbia Supreme Court March 10 to a petition alleging a conflict of interest over the lease of a civic building to Vancouver's HootSuite.
Mayoral candidate Glen Chernen of the Cedar Party, as well as several others, filed the petition February 14, alleging that Robertson accepted "substantial assistance" from HootSuite and had a personal relationship with the social media management company's CEO Ryan Holmes.
"I intend to deal with this quickly and forcefully," Robertson said.
"The case is entirely without merit, and the facts speak for themselves.
Robertson's official response said the petition against him was "replete with misstatements of fact and false innuendo."
"The petition and supporting affidavits are so obviously devoid of any legal merit that the only reasonable inference the court should draw is that this proceeding was commenced for an improper collateral purpose, namely to damage Mayor Robertson politically," the response reads.
Among other allegations, the initial petition by the Cedar Party claimed that Robertson received "unspecified gifts" from HootSuite. Robertson has responded by saying this consisted of stickers, a t-shirt and a coffee mug – something that HootSuite gives away for free.
Robertson has hired prominent lawyer Joe Arvay of Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP to represent him in this matter.
-With files from Bob Mackin
