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Plus, predatory home liens and OPSEU's missing millions
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  First Up

  By Kevin Jiang

 

Good morning. Here’s the latest on Donald Trump’s felony conviction, homeowners
exposed to predatory home liens and OPSEU’s attempt to recoup $3.7 million in
missing funds.

 



 

  DON’T MISS



Mike Segar/AP Photo

 

united states


DONALD TRUMP CLOSED HIS EYES IN COURT, BUT HE COULDN’T MAKE THE GUILTY VERDICT
GO AWAY

For six weeks Donald Trump closed his eyes, but in the end he couldn’t make it
all go away, Richard Warnica reports. For neither the first nor the last time,
the 45th president of the United States made history of the ugly kind — found
guilty, guilty, guilty on 34 felony counts yesterday. Within minutes, he was
already raising money off his defeat. “I was just convicted in a RIGGED
political Witch Hunt trial,” his email to supporters read an hour after the
verdict. On his way out the courtroom, Trump the convict wagged a finger at the
cameras: “This is long from over,” he said. On that point, he can be believed.
What happens now?

 * Miss something? Trump was convicted of 34 counts of falsification of business
   records Thursday evening and now potentially faces years in prison. He will
   be sentenced on July 11. Despite this, Trump could still be elected and serve
   as president — even from prison.
 * On the home front: As a convicted felon, lawyers say Trump is technically
   barred from crossing the border into Canada as a civilian — although he could
   still be let in for diplomatic reasons.

 





Toronto Star Photo Illustration

 

the third act


ONTARIO PROMISED TO PROTECT CONSUMERS FROM PREDATORY LIENS ON THEIR HOUSES —
THEN HOMEOWNERS LIKE THE BARTONS GOT SUED

In early May, Paul Barton opened his inbox to find an email from a sender he
didn’t recognize. His concern grew as he read the message, which claimed to be
from a debt litigation company — threatening to sue him and his wife Debra for
almost $24,000, Maria Iqbal reports. Then he recalled lawyers generally don’t
tell people before serving them. “To me, it was all just plain scare tactics,”
said Barton, who, three weeks later, still hasn’t been served in person. The
Bartons were among the nearly 100 Ontarians sued by the Canadian Home
Improvement Credit Corporation (CHICC) since late March — what’s going on?

 * More: CHICC’s lawsuits targeted customers who allegedly defaulted on their
   contracts to rent or lease household appliances. These allowed the company to
   put a Notice of Security Interest (NOSI) against the customer’s property,
   sometimes without their knowledge.
 * Even more: Ontario is actively trying to ban NOSIs as the liens may be used
   by “bad actors” to “extort exorbitant payments from consumers, particularly
   seniors.”
 * Word from CHICC: A spokesperson for the company said CHICC is acting no
   differently than a credit card company that’s owed money and that the
   lawsuits have nothing to do with Ontario’s coming ban. He warned the Star to
   stop its reporting.

 



Andrew Francis Wallace/The Star

 

star exclusive


A FORMER OPSEU LAWYER HAS BEEN ARRESTED AFTER REFUSING TO TURN OVER DOCUMENTS
EXPLAINING $3.7 MILLION IN MISSING FUNDS

A former lawyer for the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) has been
arrested after refusing a court order to turn over records showing what happened
to the $3.7 million in union funds he is accused of misappropriating, Emily
Fagan reports. Mark Mendl, OPSEU’s external legal counsel from 2017 to 2022,
allegedly received the funds from the union leading up to a union election. On
further investigation, the payments were reportedly transferred to former OPSEU
executives and employees and a joint account Mendl owns with his spouse. “Most
of the transfers were made without proper documentation or justification,” court
documents read. Here’s what you need to know.

 * What we know: OPSEU, which represents more than 180,000 public sector
   employees across Ontario, is suing Mendl to recover the funds, plus another
   $3.7 million in damages and $500,000 for aggravated and punitive damages.
 * Meanwhile: The union has also undertaken separate legal action against three
   former union leaders, including its former president, seeking more than $6
   million in damages for allegedly misappropriating funds.

 

 

  WHAT ELSE

 

Doug Ford is being slammed for his “racist” remarks suggesting immigrants are to
blame for a shooting at a Toronto Jewish school.

 

“A bunch of wolves on top of a piece of meat.” A guilty plea made in the
swarming death of Kenneth Lee reveals new details.

Toronto police say they will not clear the U of T encampment without a court
order.

 

Immigration detainees in federal prisons will be separated from other inmates.

“I don’t even know what their issue is.” Dental groups’ opposition to Ottawa’s
plan has Trudeau’s health minister frustrated. 

 

Canada’s Big Six banks are putting millions more aside for defaults as mortgage
“payment shocks” ripple through the industry.

“If it’s not required, why even ask for it?” First Nations are slamming Ottawa
for requesting confidentiality agreements in child welfare negotiations.

 

Nearly a third of Canadians think world war is likely and many even more believe
Canada is not ready, according to a new survey.

Ontario high school students will soon need to pass a financial literacy
assessment to graduate.

 

Patrick Brown is still carrying significant debt from his failed Conservative
leadership bid.

Edward Rogers argued against a Toronto WNBA franchise — but Larry Tanenbaum went
ahead and got one. Who was right?

 

The Blue Jays have revealed their City Connect look — confirming the leaks.

 

 

  POV



Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick


HOW DID JUSTIN TRUDEAU SCREW UP SO BADLY? MAYBE THE ANSWER WAS HIDING IN PLAIN
SIGHT.

 

 

  CLOSE-UP



Eyad Baba/AFP Photo

 

RAFAH: An unexploded shell is seen near a young boy at a makeshift camp for
displaced Palestinians near the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Deadly Israeli
airstrikes in the area have drawn international condemnation as defence experts
question why Israel did not use smaller, more precise weapons when so many
civilians were nearby.

 



 

Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at
firstup@thestar.ca. Andrew will see you back here tomorrow.

 

 

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