The mayor of Hampstead has formally been ordered to pay a $30,000 fine and take ethics training after pleading guilty over comments he made about Palestine. Last month, Mayor Jeremy Levi entered a plea of guilt following a complaint to the Quebec order of professional accountants. According to the complaint, Levi made several posts on social media that undermined the reputation of the profession. The complaint cited more than 20 posts on X, Facebook, and Instagram by Levi between January 2024 and February 2025 about Palestine and pro-Palestinian activists. According to a decision by the order’s disciplinary council issued on Tuesday, the mayor “called for the extermination of civilians in Palestine and Iran and advocates for a large-scale preemptive strike by Israel against Iran and its allies, implying that the state and all its citizens should be wiped out … he referred to Palestinians and anyone who defends the Palestinian cause as terrorists or accuses them of siding with terrorists … and he called for the extermination of all terrorists, including ‘their civilian sympathizers.’" The council wrote in its decision that “violent words of this nature ... have no place in modern society” and the fact that he was the mayor of a Montreal suburb at the time he published the posts, “gave his statements greater visibility and heightened the seriousness of his misconduct.” The council accepted a joint recommendation from both parties that Levi should pay the fine and take a mandatory, seven-hour “Ethical Questioning at the Heart of Our Decisions” training program offered by the order on May 5, 2027. Levi also offered an apology to the board at a sentencing hearing on Oct. 26. “I would like to begin by expressing my sincere regret for the concerns and difficulties that this situation has created,” Levi said. “I recognize that these posts became a source of controversy and raised concerns among members of the profession and the public. I understand the importance of maintaining confidence in the profession and the responsibilities that come with being a member of it, and I am genuinely sorry for the concern and disruption this matter has caused.” The council also ordered him to pay additional costs to cover legal fees. With files from The Canadian Press
