One of Doug Ford’s most-trusted aides is leaving Queen’s Park

Leading Doug Ford is dropping 1 of his longest-serving and most-reliable aides.

Amin Massoudi, Ford’s principal secretary, is leaving Queen’s Park subsequent thirty day period for the private sector.

Massoudi — who labored with the leading and his late brother, former Toronto mayor Rob Ford, for decades — was also chair of the Progressive Conservatives’ effective June 2 re-election marketing campaign.

Tranquil and poised, he is effectively-regarded by colleagues and trusted implicitly by Ford, who mentioned Friday he considers Massoudi “like family members.”

“Since the early days at town corridor, Amin has been by my aspect and has turn out to be 1 of my most-trusted advisers,” the leading reported in a statement to the Star.

“He’s been a steady hand in my place of work, to start with serving as deputy chief of staff members and then principal secretary and chair of our effective re-election campaign, and has helped persuade lots of youthful folks inside of and outdoors federal government to get more concerned in politics and general public support,” explained Ford.

“Amin is like family members, and he’ll continue on to be a shut adviser and good friend. I would like him nothing at all but success in his following chapter,” he explained.

“I know regardless of what he decides to do, he’ll do it with the exact same passion and commitment I’ve noticed from him considering the fact that the very first time I fulfilled him as a young male starting off out with my brother Rob.”

A new principal secretary has not nonetheless been appointed.

Massoudi, 34, who joined the 2010 Rob Ford mayoral campaign straight out of Queen’s University, is predicted to launch his have modest community-affairs company.

He has consulted with Integrity Commissioner J. David Wake on next moves due to the fact less than Ontario’s conflict-of-interest regulations, former staffers can not directly lobby their ex-colleagues for 1 calendar year.

“Serving in the premier’s business over the final four several years has been the best honour of my existence,” said Massoudi.

“I will often be grateful to the premier for this option. I am self-confident that Ontario will go on to be extremely perfectly-served by my dear pal, Premier Ford, and the reliable workforce of ministers and personnel he has created all over him,” he explained.

A person Tory, speaking confidentially in order to examine internal machinations, claimed that all through the Tories’ rocky 1st calendar year in business office, Massoudi normally served as a buffer concerning staffers and Ford’s mercurial chief of team, Dean French.

French, who ultimately still left in June 2019 after the “French connection” cronyism scandal, was succeeded by Jamie Wallace, a former media govt and one-time Queen’s Park Press Gallery president.

Considering that then, Wallace and Massoudi labored carefully to professionalize operations, elevating aides like deputy chief of staff members for difficulties management Cody Welton, deputy chief of team for strategic communications Travis Kann, and government director of media relations Ivana Yelich.

In other moves Friday, Alexandra Adamo, who was Ford’s press secretary, is leaving to turn into director of communications to Wellbeing Minister and Deputy Leading Sylvia Jones.

“The very best press secretary any one could check with for. @allieadamo has been my appropriate hand lady in the premier’s office for the superior element of the last two yrs,” Yelich claimed on Twitter.

“I’m sad to permit her go, but really delighted she’s not heading far too considerably!”

Adamo begins her new part Monday. The legislature resumes Aug. 8 with a throne speech established for the subsequent day.