Library chair quits amid credit card spending controversy
Al Maghnieh resigned at mayor's request in wake of personal spending
CBC News
Posted: Apr 21, 2012 10:43 PM ET
Last Updated: Apr 21, 2012 11:47 PM ET
City councillor Al Maghnieh admitted he used one of the library board's corporate credit cards to pay for personal expenses. (CBC)
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Ward 10 Coun. Al Maghnieh has resigned as chair of Windsor's library board, he confirmed to CBC News.
The decision to quit follows Maghnieh's admission that he charged between $3,000 and $6,000 in personal expenditures to a corporate credit card the library paid for.
Maghnieh and the Windsor Public Library board both say he has repaid the money, but Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis said Saturday that he still encouraged Maghnieh to resign.
Francis told CBC News he advised Maghnieh to immediately release all the credit card expenses, given the confusion over differing reports of the total money charged for personal expenses.
The mayor said he also told Maghnieh that the results of an audit by KPMG that discovered the personal spending should also be immediately released to city council so it can be shared publicly.
"I told him he has a lot of work to do to repair the relationship with his council colleagues, as well as the community," Francis said. "His actions from here on will speak louder than any words."
Maghnieh confirmed to CBC in an email Saturday night that he has resigned as chair of the library board, but had no other comment. On Friday, he said he had already said all he was going to say on the subject.
The councillor, usually very active on Twitter, last tweeted on Friday at 4:32 p.m. "I will work even harder to prove myself again, and I am very sorry for my mistakes," Maghnieh posted.
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