Martha Rogers calls for brother Edward to 'step down' in barrage of tweets

TORONTO -

Drama among members of the Rogers family seems to have spilled from the boardroom to social media.

Martha Rogers, a director of Rogers Communications, called for her brother, Edward Rogers, to "step down" in a series of tweets posted in the early hours of Saturday.

"You can stop me anytime by ceasing, desisting & stepping down. Know I won't bring anything up without full receipts, I got them from the last 20+ years − who's vulnerable now," she wrote, seemingly calling for Edward to resign as chair of the family trust that apparently controls the company's voting shares.

In the tweets, Martha also said she will begin tweeting "what’s actually happening" along with evidence about his "Trump scandal."

"I'll gladly blow up my life to stop this," she wrote, adding she had previously been threatened with "severe personal repercussions."

The family feud reportedly began at the Canadian telecom and media giant after Edward attempted to replace CEO Joe Natale, a move that was blocked by Edward's sisters, Martha and Melinda Rogers-Hixon, and mother Loretta Rogers. On Thursday, Edward was ousted as chair of the company. He remains on the board as a director.

Despite no longer being chair, Edward has apparently sought to assert control. In a news release late Thursday, he announced his plan to remove independent directors John Clappison, David Peterson, Bonnie Brooks, Ellis Jacob and newly named chairman John A. MacDonald from the company’s board.

In their place, he named Michael Cooper, Jack Cockwell, Jan Innes, Ivan Fecan and John Kerr as new members.

Martha stated that her father Ted Rogers, former president and CEO of Rogers Communications, had put her on the board as a check and balance to ensure nothing "insane" occurs within the company.

"This is for you Dad," she wrote.

With files from The Canadian Press 

Wish I could sleep. With 24,000 employees and mortgages on the line, it’s not easy.

— Martha Rogers (@MarthaLRogers) October 23, 2021

Since Ed & his old boys club Trump cabal can leak countless articles with impunity, starting tmw (TBD) I’ll tweet every hr on the hr what’s actually happening. 24,000 employees>1.📌 Ed Rogers, Alan Horn, Phil Lind, David Robinson, Toby Hull & John Tory − we’re looking at you.

— Martha Rogers (@MarthaLRogers) October 23, 2021

Don’t care you’ll come for me, you have 3 wks straight, & we still get up every time you knock us down. My mother−the co-founder−is 82, what gentlemens. We’ll spend every penny defending the company, employees & Ted’s wishes, nothing you can do will deter us. Bring. It. On.

— Martha Rogers (@MarthaLRogers) October 23, 2021

You can stop me anytime by ceasing, desisting & stepping down. Know I won’t bring anything up without full receipts, I got them from the last 20+ years − who’s vulnerable now? I’m guessing Ed’s PR crisis firm, hordes of lawyers + Trump supporters will come for me − let’s go.

— Martha Rogers (@MarthaLRogers) October 23, 2021

Next: the truth about his Trump scandal 5 mos ago, their involvement threatening us to suppress it or else they’ll be “severe personal repercussions” (and they very much can). Navigator must be shitting their pants, there’s so much more. I’ll gladly blow up my life to stop this.

— Martha Rogers (@MarthaLRogers) October 23, 2021

Succession? Please. It feels more like GoT like @torontolife said in 2014, and I hope to God I'm Arya. Maisie Williams killed that, she was brilliant. Thank god it's 2021 instead of 2007. And yes, you know what I mean, I'll talk about that. How you doing Navigator?

— Martha Rogers (@MarthaLRogers) October 23, 2021

Unlike Ed I have no lawyers, PR spin firms, staff or media training. Don’t need it. I’m no one special, just a fairly ordinary woman put in extraordinary circumstances. Ted put me on the board as a check and balance to ensure nothing this insane occurs. This is for you Dad.

— Martha Rogers (@MarthaLRogers) October 23, 2021