Blackridge doubles down, says campaign attack websites were justified

The London public relations firm linked to two websites that attacked two London council candidates in the last election has doubled down, saying in a statement issued Tuesday that comments made on those websites were justified because they contained "verified facts" about the candidates' behaviour. 

The seven-page statement also lashes out at the news media, which it says "has willfully misrepresented the content of these websites as being slanderous and non-factual when the information presented on each website reflected verified, albeit harsh facts." 

The statement does not address why Blackridge co-owner Amir Farahi's address and credit card number were revealed in court documents to be linked to two websites attacking Maureen Cassidy and Virginia Ridley.

The statement also does not address comments made by a handful of London councillors who say the websites — which used as domain names the names of the two targeted candidates — amount to violations of the Municipal Elections Act. 

Legal action against media, politicians

The statement does threaten legal action action against media outlets for how the scandal was reported. 

"Rest assured that we will be taking swift legal action to seek reputational damages against any and all individual and organization that have slandered our names and/or Blackridge Strategy," the statement says.

The statement also characterizes the content of the websites as part of the normal cut and thrust of a typical election campaign. 

'Hurt feelings'

"While these websites may have resulted in hurt feelings, the information presented on each page accurately reflected choices Councillors Cassidy and Ridley made as elected officials," the statement says.

This is the first public comment Blackridge has made since Cassidy's and Ridley's lawyer, Susan Toth, released the court documents that connect Farahi with the websites. Farahi had told CTV News in October 2018 that he had nothing to do with creating them. 

The candidates targeted by the websites are Maureen Cassidy, who was re-elected in Ward 5 and Virginia Ridley, who lost her seat in Ward 10. 

Toth was hired by both candidates to uncover who paid for the domain name registration of both websites. One of the websites accused Ridley of child abuse for bringing her son to a budget meeting. 

In an interview with CBC News shortly after the statement was released on Tuesday, Toth said Farahi needs to make it clear why he wasn't upfront about his role in creating the websites.

"If in fact this was all fair play, then why wouldn't they have directly put their stamp on it? Why make this an anonymous attack?"  

Toth also said the statement doesn't address the discrepancy between Farahi's denial of involvement, and court documents that link him to both websites. 

"That is a pretty glaring omission," said Toth. "I would welcome Blackridge to address that head-on in the interest of transparency." 

Toth also said accusing a councillor of abuse for bringing her child to a meeting crosses a line beyond the standard lines of attack during election campaings. 

"I really want [Blackridge] to consider: Do they understand the implications of  accusing somebody of child abuse? I don't care if they think they have facts to back that up, they just don't." 

Farahi has so far not responded to CBC's request for comment. 

Apology was missing, mayor says

Mayor Ed Holder said Blackridge's statement should have included an apology to both Cassidy and Ridley. 

"There was an acceptance of responsibility, but an acceptance without apology and I think the councillors who were impugned through this process deserved better than just a justification of the communication that was sent out by Blackridge," he said. 

You can read the statements from Blackridge Strategy below