Coun. Steve Sampson praised for handling of blackmail situation

A Richmond County councillor who says someone tried to blackmail him this week over a call to a male escort agency made during a trip on municipal business is being praised by a colleaguefor his handling of the situation.

Coun. Steve McNeilcommends Steve Sampson for going to the RCMPand confronting the anonymous blackmail attempt head-on.

• Richmond County councillor says he's being blackmailed over male escort call

Relations between councillorsin Richmond Countyhave occasionally been acrimonious in the last year, with the public taking sideson the issues ofdownsizing council and the travel expenses of councillors and administrators.

McNeil says threatening to expose a man's personal business over politics goes beyond the pale.

"Yes, the public needs to needs to know about our expenses and they have a right to," he said.

"But anytime that there's a line crossed between what the public needs to know and what our private lives are.I don't think any elected officialshould have to be put through that."

'Stooped to a new level'

Sampsontold reportersThursday that he received a letter earlier this week containing a photocopy of a hotel bill he incurred while travelling in 2014 on county business. The bill listed a call to a male escort agency.

Sampson said the letter demanded he resign and never run for public office again. Instead, the councillor said he went to police and has nothing to be ashamed of.

McNeil says it's a "new low" that somebody would comb through a receipt to review phone charges.

"Somebody stooped to a new level," he said. "You investigate to see where each one of them phone calls were made to? It's gone beyond, as far as I'm concerned."

'Just awful'

In St. Peters on Friday, the opinions of residents were mixed.

"Politics is politics, I guess," said Willie Carter.

But Linda Poxonsaid she supports Sampsoncompletely.

"He's worked so hard for the last 25 years for the people here," she said. "Anyone who goes to him for help onany kind of a problem, he works on it;he tries to help you."

She describes the alleged blackmail attempt as "just awful."She's hopeful the RCMP will find out who is behind it.

Sampsonwaswarden when citizens began asking for a forensic audit of expenses.He said at the time that such anaudit was unnecessary and too expensive. He has since reversed his position.

"Ithink it maybe going alittle bit too far," resident Gary Gibson said of the blackmail allegations."Butcouncillor Sampson could havestopped all of this months ago whenwe wantedthe vote for the forensic audit, andhe saidno."