By Canadian Press

Former Montreal mayor can keep $268K severance despite fraud conviction: judge

Jan 20, 2020 | 10:55 AM

MONTREAL — A court has ruled that disgraced former Montreal mayor Michael Applebaum can keep the $268,000 he received from the city after resigning from office, despite a conviction for fraud against the government.

Quebec Superior Court ruled today Applebaum is entitled to the money because new rules prohibiting payments to elected officials convicted of crimes went into effect after he resigned.

Applebaum, who was first elected to council in 1994, became the city’s interim mayor in 2012 but was forced to resign the following year when he was arrested on corruption charges.

In 2016 and again in 2018 the provincial law governing severance packages for municipal politicians was modified to exclude politicians convicted of certain crimes from receiving any public money when they leave office.

The city of Montreal sued Applebaum to get its money back, but Justice Serge Gaudet says the law was not made retroactive and therefore the city’s former mayor is not required to return the money.

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Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante told reporters today she is disappointed with the ruling and has asked the city’s lawyers what other recourse is available to recoup the money.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Jan 20, 2020.

The Canadian Press