As questions swirl around his predecessor, Calgary’s mayor is claiming that no current or former members of city council are the target of an ongoing RCMP investigation after some of their phones were seized.
It comes after Global News confirmed RCMP officers executed warrants at the homes of former mayor Jyoti Gondek, former Ward 4 Coun. Sean Chu, and current Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot.
Gondek said she has been “fully cooperative” with officers but she called the situation “invasive,” and noted her lawyer would be reviewing to determine if the warrant was “justified.”
Chabot also told reporters he is “fully cooperating,” after the warrant was executed at his home Thursday, but is unaware of what the investigation is about.
A lawyer representing Chu has not responded to Global News’ request for comment.
“My understanding at this point is that no member of council past or present is the target of an investigation,” Farkas told reporters Wednesday.
“However, certain evidence that they may have in terms of text messages or emails they received are being submitted to the RCMP to be able to support the investigation of a third party.”
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Farkas claimed that third party is a “local business” facing allegations.
When asked later how he knows this information, Farkas reiterated he hasn’t been contacted by the RCMP.
“I will just take my current and my former colleagues at their word, but to be clear I’ve not been briefed at greater detail than anybody else,” Farkas said.
The RCMP’s Federal Policing Northwest Region confirmed the investigation is ongoing, which is related to “a referral we received from Calgary Police Services in October 2025.”
Calgary police Chief Katie McLellan told reporters Wednesday that she had “received a concern” in October 2025.
“To ensure that we had independence and objectivity, I turned that over to the RCMP,” she told reporters Wednesday. “The RCMP is the primary police service that is conducting that investigation.”
Few details or comments have been released about the complaint “to protect the integrity” of the investigation, according to police officials.
So far, no charges have been laid.
Doug King, a justice studies professor at Mount Royal University, said it “makes good sense” for the RCMP to handle an investigation related to local elected officials as it’s Calgary city council that dictates annual police budgets.
“If it was a criminal offence like an assault or property damage by a member of city council, that would have likely been referred to the Edmonton Police Service, or nearby Lethbridge Police Service,” King told Global News.
“A more complex investigation that may include financial issues like bank records and all those kinds of things, the RCMP are better able to do those investigations because of their level of expertise.”
Alberta premier Danielle Smith said she has “no understanding of what it is about at all,” and her knowledge is to the extent of what she’s read in the news since the story broke on Tuesday.
“I’m just watching the process play out, just like everyone else,” she said. “We’ll see what the RCMP turns out.”
The situation comes amidst a marathon public hearing at Calgary city hall over whether council should repeal citywide rezoning.
Farkas said he believes how “forthcoming” those publicly named in the case have been “reinforces the public trust” Calgarians have in his office and city council.
Ward 14 Coun. Landon Johnston, however, said the situation is a “huge distraction,” to the work city council is doing, which he noted is “very frustrating.”
“Right now, we’re in the dark,” he told reporters. “I think it would be important for administration and whoever is investigating whatever is going on to let us know as governors to ensure we’re on the same page.”
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